Blind Fury
by auntof3
Summary: Steve, Danny, Kono, and Chin return from a bust; banged up and bruised, but none too worse for the wear…or so they think. In the blink of an eye, they all realized just how drastically the world can change. Danny Whump. Steve, Grace, and Team angst.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: So. I hadn't planned on finding any story ideas for a while, but I was digging through a folder of fic notes, and found some information that didn't work for another fandom, but really seems to work here. There will be DannyWhump, along with Team and Grace angst. I hope you enjoy!**

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The scene on the small plane looked like something out of a disaster movie. There were bodies scattered in every available seat, trying to rest from what almost was a tragic end to a tough arrest.

Chin had a small bandage over his left eyebrow, and was holding a cold pack to his temple. Steve was taping the final corner of gauze covering a painful gash on Danny's arm. He tried to take a look at the rapidly swelling lump on his friend's head, but as soon as he was finished with his arm, Danny shrugged him off. Danny turned the tables and grabbed the scissors, slicing through the fabric on Steve's sleeve, revealing a large bruise just below his shoulder.

Kono limped towards the back of the plane, trying to walk the stiffness from her knee. She had landed wrong on the concrete, bruising the bone just enough to be horribly painful, but not leave any lasting damage. She was one of the lucky ones.

"Damn, that was too close." Steve shook his head as he tossed Danny another cold pack. "I hate being blindsided like that."

Steve winced as he pressed his own icy gel pack onto his upper arm. "Shit. That hurts."

While Kono took a quick peek at the bruise, Danny quipped, "You think? That's bound to happen when you get nailed with a metal pipe."

Steve shot him a wave, minus four fingers, while Chin sat back in his seat, chuckling with a hidden sigh of relief. Even though they were banged up and bruised, they had made it out alive.

One by one, the team started to try to relax, and the plane became quiet, save for the roar of the engine. They still had about twenty minutes left of their flight back to Oahu, so they all figured they'd try to relax a little before landing. They hadn't slept much in the week leading up to the bust, so they were all running on fumes.

Steve shook his head as he stared at his best friend seated across from him. This could have ended so badly. They had gotten screwed over by bad intel, and it had nearly cost them their lives. While Danny had his eyes closed, he leaned over and took a closer look at the lump on his best friend's head. It was still very swollen, and he knew that it had to hurt.

All too soon, the plane started its descent into Oahu. Danny felt the change in cabin pressure and took a deep breath to try and chase the fuzziness from his mind. He blinked a few times to let his eyes adjust to the cabin lights.

Kono saw him stretching his neck and figured he was sore – hell, they all were. She lightly started rubbing his shoulders, but stopped as she felt Danny cringe and pull away. "Are you okay?" She didn't think she had used too much pressure.

Danny nodded slowly. "Yeah. I don't know…I think maybe my head was just in a weird position while I was resting? My neck is sore and I've got a headache of moderate poundage."

Steve reached down to stow his bag and asked, "Do you want some Advil?"

Danny shook his head as he slipped his water bottle back in his bag. "I think it'll be okay. I'll just get something when we get back to headquarters."

Steve wasn't convinced, but he let it go for now, vowing to make him see the doctor as soon as they landed, if he wasn't feeling any better. He couldn't pinpoint what was wrong, but he could tell that Danny was in more pain than he was letting on.

As they had started their descent, Chin had stood up and headed to the galley for a bottle of water. By the time he had gotten back, the rest of his team was fully awake, their gear packed back up.

Steve looked worried, but shook Chin off as he caught his eye. Chin knew that Steve would talk if he needed to, so he didn't push things.

It took just a few minutes before they were wheels down. Steve had caught Danny rubbing his neck a couple of times, but each time Danny noticed Steve watching him, he gave him what he thought was a reassuring smile.

Steve wasn't fooled, though. He could tell that something was off. Maybe it was _just_ a headache, but he figured he would recruit Chin and Kono if he had to. Danny might be pissed, but the cousins would make sure that he got checked out.

He shouldered his gear and started towards the front of the plane, stooping to grab one of Danny's bags on his way past his seat. He kept walking quickly, knowing that Danny was probably flipping him off right about now. His friend hated when people did things for him, but Steve could tell that he was hurting.

Steve stood on the tarmac and waited for Danny, Chin, and Kono to join him. They had taken a smaller prop plane to island hop – it was supposed to just be a fly over trip to grab their suspect. Fortunately, because of the landing configuration of the airport, they were able to land and deplane right next to the parking lot.

While he was standing there, he replayed the details of the bust in his mind. The more he thought about the last twelve hours, the more he realized that there was nothing else that they would or should have done differently. It didn't stop him from worrying about his team, though.

They came out of this mission more banged up and bruised than normal. Thanks to his attempt at screwing the team over, Kai Markea would not be enjoying freedom any time soon, and would become intimately familiar with the walls inside of Halawa Prison. He had tried to be the big man setting Five-0 up for an ambush, but it backfired - he would spend the vast majority of the rest of his life staring at the same four walls. The team would make sure of that.

Steve caught sight of Danny walking down the steps of the plane. He could see that his face was pinched in pain – much worse than even five minutes earlier. Kono was in front of him, and Chin had a hand on his shoulder, steadying him as he slowly plodded down the steps. Steve quickly jogged back to meet Danny at the bottom and immediately pulled one arm over his shoulder. He quickly became alarmed when Danny didn't complain about the assist.

Chin quickly took his other arm, and between the two men, they practically carried him the short distance to the truck. He tossed the bags into the back and helped Danny into the passenger side as Kono and Chin climbed into the back seat. Once they were secure, Steve quickly sat behind the wheel and started the car into traffic.

He drove quickly yet carefully towards Queens Medical Center, knowing that Danny needed to get to the hospital as swiftly as possible. In hindsight, he wondered if he should have called an ambulance, but Danny kept insisting it was just a headache. Glancing to his right, he could see Danny with his eyes closed and his head resting on the back of the seat. Subtly, he pressed on the gas just a little more, wanting to get him to the ER sooner, rather than later.

Thankfully, it didn't take them too long before they were at the entrance. They had to park at the end of the sidewalk, thanks to the two ambulances right in front. Steve didn't even bother with the bags as he hurried to open the door, doing a double-take as he caught sight of Danny. He was unnaturally pale and sweaty, seemingly from the pain in his head.

Steve helped him out of the car, and he took one side, while Chin took the other. Gingerly, they started towards the Emergency Room doors, feeling Danny start to sag with every step.

"Fuck, Steve…my head…" Danny's voice was barely a whisper.

"I know, D. We're almost there." Steve was becoming more and more anxious – he needed Danny to hang on just a little while longer…they were almost inside.

"Steve, I…" Without warning, his knees buckled and he nearly hit the floor. Steve managed to catch him before he dropped, and as Kono hurried ahead for help, he and Chin quickly followed her through the doorway. Danny's eyes remained closed; his head dropped forward, and Steve and Chin both wished that he would have groaned from the way he was jostled about, but he stayed still.

They burst through the doors and were immediately met by a bevy of medical personnel. As quickly as they could, they relayed what information they knew. There had been an altercation during the bust; they never saw specifically what happened to Danny, but knew that he boarded the plane with a knot on his head, which seemed to get a little bigger over time. He had been conscious and talking on the way home, and only complained of a headache right before they landed.

The doctors quickly ushered the team from the room as they started the numerous tests that would be run. They hurriedly got Danny changed into a gown, and an IV started. They pushed fluids, as his blood pressure was lower than they would have liked. They also tightened an oxygen mask over his mouth and nose, trying to stabilize his vital signs.

They readied him for an immediate CT scan, and Steve was not surprised when they wheeled him from the room not too long after Danny had been rushed in. He could only stand and stare down the hallway. They could ask him to wait in the waiting room, but there was no way he was leaving. He wanted to be able to see when his teammate returned.

He must have stood there for close to twenty-five minutes before the feel of Chin's hand on his shoulder startled him momentarily. He had been so focused on what was happening with Danny that he never heard his friend come up behind him. He turned to where Chin and Kono were standing and shook his head. "This never should have happened…I should have seen…"

Chin held up one hand. "Don't even finish that sentence. We all saw him. He seemed fine on the plane. He's had bumps and bruises before – we all have – and never had anything like this happen. This was not your fault, and there was nothing that you should have done differently, so stop beating yourself up."

"I know, but…" Steve just turned and faced the hallway again. He didn't even want to imagine an ending to that sentence.

"He's going to be okay, Steve. He has to be." Danny had a hell of a lot to fight for. Rachel had recently relaxed their custody agreement, and Danny now had Grace at least three days a week, sometimes more. So now he had to fight some unknown medical battle of his own, just when he had some happiness in his life? It just didn't seem fair.

Before he could dwell on that too much, they were wheeling Danny back from his scan. The doctor motioned for Steve to follow them, knowing that he held his medical proxy. He left, tossing Chin and Kono an anxious look before he followed the gurney inside.

"How is he? Is he going to be okay?" Steve hated how pale Danny was – he practically blended into the sheets.

"I won't lie to you, Commander McGarrett. He's suffered a fairly severe concussion and is still unconscious. He does have some swelling in his brain that we're concerned about. The next twelve to twenty-four hours are going to be crucial for him." Dr. Keane glanced at the monitors and wrote the numbers down in her chart.

"I don't understand…he seemed fine on the plane; he only complained of a headache as we started to land…how did this happen?"

The doctor finished her assessment of Danny and turned to face Steve. Her eyes were sympathetic. "It could have been any number of things, Commander. Head injuries can worsen over time, which seems to be what happened in this case. The change in cabin pressure could have exacerbated the headache, although I think the injury itself is more at fault here. We'll know more when he wakes up."

Steve swallowed thickly as he latched onto her use of 'when' and not 'if'. He had to grab onto something. "Is he moving to the ICU?"

Dr. Keane nodded. "With his head injury, he needs very close monitoring. Normally, you would only be allowed to see him for brief periods every hour. However, I have a feeling you and your team would cause more issues in the waiting room than you would if I let you sit with him, so as long as you keep things very quiet, you may stay with him." She was teasing – they had met her a few times before, and she had gone out on a limb and bent a few rules for the Five-0 team on occasion, knowing just how loyal they were to one another. In a case like this, Danny was bound to need his family around.

Steve motioned for Chin and Kono to stay with Danny while he went and called Rachel. The doctor had shown him to a small family room, so he didn't have to go far. Once he had filled her in on what he knew, he heard Grace in the background asking to talk to him.

He could hear Rachel's unspoken question, and told her to put Grace on the phone. He would do this for his friend. "Hi Gracie."

"Hi, Uncle Steve. I heard mommy talking about Danno – is he okay?"

Steve took a deep breath. "He got a pretty bad bump on his head today. He'll be in the hospital for a little while until his head stops hurting him. You won't be able to see him until they move him into a different room, but I promise that once that happens, I'll come and pick you up, okay?"

He heard Grace's voice hitch, and knew that she was crying. Grace was a smart girl. She knew that if it wasn't too serious, she would have been allowed to come and see him right now, but the fact that nobody was letting her, meant that Danno was hurt really bad. "Uncle Steve? Is Danno going to die?"

"Aww, Gracie, no. He's just going to need some time to get better. Where he is right now, you have to be twelve to visit – you're only ten, so they won't let you in just yet. But sweetheart, I promise you – the minute he can have visitors your age, you'll be the first to get to see him, okay? You can even spend the whole day, if you want. I'll clear it with your mom once Danno's feeling better."

Grace took a couple of breaths and tried to calm down. She knew that Uncle Steve wouldn't lie to her, so maybe Danno would be okay?

Steve reassured her a bit more before seeing Kono out of the corner of his eye. She was gesturing that they were ready to move Danny, so he quickly disconnected the call and rushed into the hallway.

"They're ready to take him up – he'll be in Pod 5 on the third floor. He's still unconscious, and Dr. Keane said that his vitals haven't really changed any."

Steve swore softly and took a deep breath. He really had hoped that with a little time, Danny would have woken up. He and Kono waited as the nurses pushed the gurney down the hall and into the elevator before joining them. Chin had the bag with Danny's things in it, and it didn't take them long before he was settled into his room in the ICU.

Dr. Keane had briefed the ICU physician, Dr. Makah, on Danny's status. She also shared with him Steve's plan to stay with Danny for the foreseeable future. Dr. Makah was fine with it as long as Steve understood the need to clear out should anything happen. He also had dealt with Five-0 over the months, and had seen their fierce loyalty first hand. In medicine, he never doubted the power of family and friends – and he wasn't about to start now.

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Steve wasn't sure just how long he had dozed off once they had settled into Danny's ICU room, but he knew that his neck and back were not going to be too forgiving for a while. Sitting up slowly, he stretched the muscles in his neck until he felt the bones pop back into place. He stayed quiet, noticing that both Chin and Kono had dropped into a restless sleep, but at least it was some rest.

He glanced at the numbers on his watch, pressing the button to illuminate the face. It had gotten quite dark in the two hours since he had gotten up here and eventually dozed off. He could see that Danny hadn't moved. He hadn't really been expecting him to, but he had hoped.

He figured that he'd take a short walk and find some coffee. He knew that he would need the caffeine to get him through the rest of the night. Steve lightly squeezed the back of Danny's hand, and whispered as he stood up. "I'll be right back, Danny. I'm going to go and find some coffee – I'll just be right outside the door, but Chin and Kono are right here." You just keep fighting, okay? We need you back with us, man. I don't want to have to talk to your daughter again and tell her you're not any better, so you just go ahead and wake up.

Just then, Steve felt the briefest of contact against his fingers, making his heart pound in his chest. "Danny? Can you hear me?" The answering squeeze was more deliberate, although very weak. "Danny, that's great. I'm just going to call for the doctor, okay?"

Steve quickly pushed the button and relayed that Danny seemed like he was starting to awaken. Reassured that help was on the way, Steve again grabbed Danny's hand. "Danny, you're okay. I've got you. You're at Queen's. You hit your head pretty hard, and they're just waiting for you to wake up."

Danny's eyebrows furrowed, as if he was in pain; and appeared to be getting more agitated as he awoke.

"Are you having pain right now?" Danny squeezed his hand much harder this time, and a miniscule tear leaked from his eye. Chin and Kono had woken up with the sound of Steve's voice, and were now standing next to Danny's bed. Kono handed him a tissue, and he wiped the tear away placed a hand on Danny's forehead. "Hang in there, brah. The doctor is on his way."

Steve kept up a conversation of familiar words meant to ground Danny, while they waited for the doctor to arrive. It only took a few minutes, but knowing that Danny was in pain, it felt like it took him forever to get there.

Finally, Dr. Makah rushed into the room and flipped on the lights. After questioning Steve about what had taken place over the past few minutes, he approached the head of Danny's bed. He took his penlight and gently lifted each of Danny's eyelids and shone the light into them. He seemed pleased when Danny flinched and deliberately tried to move his head away.

"Danny? My name is Dr. Makah. Can you open your eyes?" When that didn't get a response, he motioned for Steve to try. He leaned closer to Danny's ear.

"D? Open your eyes, man. This whole lazy thing? We're all kind of over it. We really need to see that you're with us. Come on, Danny. Open your eyes."

After a few moments, Danny's eyes began to flutter. He took a deep, sighing breath; groaned softly, and finally managed to get his eyes open and keep them open. He turned towards the sound of Steve's voice and blinked a few times.

Seeing that he was awake, Steve stood up and grinned. He couldn't describe the relief he felt at seeing Danny's eyes opened. Chin and Kono's expression mirrored his, as they were both smiling widely at the sight of Danny's blue eyes blinking and trying to make sense of things. He saw Danny reaching up to grab onto something…anything…and solidly locked his fingers around the thumb on Danny's hand.

Danny's return squeeze was weak, but it was there. "Steve…?" Danny's voice was barely a whisper. "Can you do me a favor?"

Steve was so happy that Danny was awake, he would have done anything he asked. "Anything, Danny. You name it."

Danny closed his eyes for a second. "Can you turn the lights on? It's hard to stay awake in the dark. And I really want to see you guys – make sure I'm not having one of those dreams where you swear you're awake, you know?"

Steve simply stared at him. "Danny…"

"Steve, the lights…can you turn them on, please?" He had turned towards him, but he wasn't staring directly at him. He seemed to be staring near him, instead.

"Danny…brah…"

Something in Steve's voice coolly gripped his heart and slammed it into his gut.

"Danny…the lights _are_ on."

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	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: Wow. I was completely blown away by the response to Chapter 1. Thank you so much!_

_Many of you know that I'm a research junkie, and I strive to make things as accurate as possible. That being said, I realize that there are going to be a few details that don't add up, medically. I've done my research on Danny's blindness as much as possible, but even I am finding myself having to adjust a couple of details in order to fit where I want this story to go. Please suspend disbelief if you read something that you think doesn't make sense. Thanks so much!_

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Danny sucked in a breath as his brain registered what Steve had said. "Steve, that's not funny. Come on…turn on the lights." His voice had gone up in pitch, signaling that he was fighting panic. "Steve? Turn them on…please?"

It was Danny's '_please'_ that got to everyone. Steve sat down on the edge of the bed and reached for Danny's arm, hoping to ground him somehow.

Immediately, Danny stiffened, and Steve could feel the anxiety rolling off of him in waves. Danny grabbed at Steve's hand, fighting to regain control, but failing miserably. One thing that Danny hated was not being in control.

Without warning, he had to reach out for the railing at the side of the bed as a wave of dizziness overtook him. His face blanched, and sweat beaded his forehead and upper lip. Steve and Kono helped him lie back against the pillows, mindful of the IV tube and the various wires that were attached to their friend.

Chin hurried to wet a cloth in the sink, and threw it to Kono, who caught it with one hand. Gently, she wiped at his face, hoping that the cold would help settle the shakiness that had overcome Danny.

Steve watched as Danny closed his eyes and tried to regain his equilibrium, not realizing that it wouldn't help. Steve also wondered if this wasn't claustrophobic in some way for Danny, being in complete and total darkness, having no way of determining where he was or what was around him.

The doctor motioned for the team to step outside while he examined Danny, but none of them had any intention of leaving, especially when Danny held onto his hand for just a moment longer than he had to.

"Steve?" Danny was trying his hardest to sound like he wasn't scared out of his mind, but Steve knew better.

"It's okay. I'm right here. Chin and Kono are here, too. We're not leaving you, Danny." Steve squeezed his hand reassuringly.

Dr. Makah knew that he would be fighting a losing battle if he tried to force any of them out, so he just let the team stay next to Danny on the other side of the bed. After a cursory examination, he tilted his head towards the hallway, giving Steve no option for argument.

"I'll be right back, Danny. Chin and Kono are right here." Even though it looked as if he had started to doze back off, Steve lightly squeezed his arm before following the doctor out into the hall. He found him at the nurse's station, writing some notes into Danny's chart.

"Can you please explain to me just what in the hell is going on?" Steve's frustration was more geared towards himself. Although they had all had head injuries at one point or another, he could not help but feel like he should have insisted that he let him check him more closely for injuries. Okay, so he hadn't complained until the end of the flight, but still…

Dr. Makah turned towards him with a pointed look. He did not need him exploding right now. "Commander McGarrett, you're going to need to step back and take a breath. I'd like to get a more detailed look at his head to see what is going on, so I'm going to send him for a few more tests. I understand your frustration, but until we get those results, we simply _don't know_ what is going on. Rest assured, I will get to the bottom of whatever is happening to your friend. Okay?"

Steve nodded. He knew that he needed to get his emotions under control if he was going to be any help at all to Danny. "Why would he flinch when you were looking into his eyes if he couldn't see the light?"

Dr. Makah shrugged one shoulder. "My guess is that it had more to do with the pain in his head than the actual reaction to the light. He may not have wanted me touching him at all, and that's why he tried to pull away."

Steve nodded, although it wasn't exactly the news he wanted to hear. He wanted to hear that Dr. Makah was not concerned at all—that this was just a minor, temporary setback.

The doctor turned towards Steve, a little more sympathetic to his emotional state of mind. "Is there someone that you need us to call?" He knew that the whole team was here, but also knew that the Governor liked to be informed when one of his task force members was hurt.

Steve shook his head. 'I'll take care of it. I'd rather that the Governor hears it from me."

He nodded slowly. "What about you? Is there anyone else that you'd like to be here with you?"

Steve didn't even respond…his attention was again focused on his best friend. Dr. Makah lightly touched his arm before going back into the room. He needed to get Danny ready for another round of tests.

It wasn't too long before Danny was wheeled from the room once again. And once again, Steve was left to stand and stare through the window. How had things gotten so horribly fucked up? Danny was happy. He had finally begun to feel like he belonged here. Now this happened? It just didn't make any sense.

Wearily, he returned to the same family room as before, and dialed the Governor's private number. At the connection, he softly spoke. "It's McGarrett."

Steve took a deep breath and gave Denning an account of what had gone on, up to the point where they took Danny for more tests. There was no sound on the other end of the line, which was making Steve extremely nervous.

"Sir…"

"Did it ever occur to you that Danny might need medical attention before you took off? Did you ever think that flying with a head injury might not have been the best course of action?" Governor Denning did not raise his voice, but the effect was the same.

"With all due respect, Sir, you're not being fair. I was on that plane with Danny and the rest of the team. Danny had a bump on his head. Just a bump. He was talking and was oriented and showed no signs that anything was wrong, other than a headache when we landed. We've all flown before with bumps on our head, and nothing has ever happened. There was nothing that led us to believe that this was anything different."

Steve was visibly sweating as he finished. Fear and an adrenaline dump tended to do that to him. Fortunately for him, Dr. Makah was on his way back into the room and had caught the end of what quickly was turning into a heated discussion. He held his hand out, motioning for Steve to hand him the phone.

"Sam, stop it." Dr. Makah had known Sam for over a year, and was one of the few who could get away with talking to him like that. "You are way off base with this one. I know Danny is a valued member of your team, and you need someone to blame, but Commander McGarrett is not at fault here. Detective Kelly and Officer Kalakaua are not at fault here. Danny is not at fault here either." He listened for a few more moments before disconnecting the call and handing Steve his phone.

Dr. Makah gave Steve a minute to calm down before telling him, "Danny is on his way back. From what we can tell on the scan, he's got some swelling in the back of his brain which is pressing on a band of optic nerves, compromising his sight. We have every hope that once the swelling goes down, his sight will return. I'm going to start him on some IV steroids, which hopefully will help reduce that swelling. I'm also going to arrange for his transfer to Tripler, where they have doctors who are more qualified to take on these types of brain injuries. He's probably going to be scared, angry and frustrated…he doesn't need you and the Governor fighting over who was at fault. If you want to blame someone, why not take care of the person responsible for doing this to him? He's going to need your support over the next days and weeks. This is not going to be easy for any of you, and the more you quit bitching at each other and try to work together, the better off everyone will be."

Dr. Makah gestured towards the hallway, where Danny was now being wheeled back in. His eyes were half-lidded, suggesting that he was either just waking up or was headed off to sleep once again.

The cousins stepped out while they got Danny settled back into his room. While they stood in the hallway, Steve looked at them and just shook his head. "How? How did things get like this? Danny has more time with Grace. He could take her and do things with her. He finally admitted that he didn't hate the island. And now…" He stopped mid sentence, feeling a flush of rage sweep through him. He needed to get some air…to try to clear his head before he went in to sit with Danny.

Glancing at Chin, he quietly asked, "Can you guys stay with him? I need a few minutes."

Chin nodded. Danny was their friend as well, and as much as he didn't particularly like hospitals, he hated the thought of Danny, sightless and alone, even more. "Take all the time you need, okay?"

Steve agreed as he headed for the stairwell. He wasn't sure where he was headed, but figured he'd know once he got there.

Chin and Kono spent a good ten minutes in with Danny, and during those ten minutes, felt more sadness than they had in a long time where their friend was concerned. Danny, who was larger than life, just looked empty. They both waited until the nurses were through getting him settled before sitting rigidly on either side of the bed. Gently, Kono picked up his hand and lightly brushed her thumb along his knuckles.

"Danny? Can you hear me?"

One of the nurses was finishing up her charting and let Kono know that they had given him a mild sedative so that he would be still during the tests. He was most likely sleeping soundly. As the nurse was leaving the room, Chin nodded briefly at her before turning to face Danny.

Looking closely at his friend, he saw that Danny seemed to be asleep. They had cleaned the cuts on his face, and had placed a small gauze square over the bump. He would hate the feeling of the tape in his hair, but at least they didn't have to shave his head. Chin quietly shifted to the chair next to his bed, while Kono kept her seat next to Danny's hip.

He placed his elbows on his knees and whispered. "I know this isn't at all about me or Kono, but I'm not too sure that we can do this. I don't know how to sit here and wait and watch, not knowing if you're going to be okay. You're family…ohana…you know?"

Chin took a slow breath, fiercely stuffing his emotions down deep.

Kono picked up the conversation where Chin left off. "I'm not actually convinced that Steve can function without you to keep him in line, brah, although obviously he would tell us all different. And if he can't function, we both know that _we're_ going to have to be the ones to take care of him. And we also both know that you're much better at being his partner than either of us ever could be. So just wake up soon and let us know that you're going to be okay, you hear me?"

Steve caught the tail end of Kono's words as he came in, and immediately glanced at Danny. "How is he?" Steve took a drink from a bottle of water that he was carrying. He had set his tea down on the side table, but was working to finish the rest of the water.

Kono raised one eyebrow at Steve's sweaty, disheveled look. She wasn't even going to ask where he had gone, but waited him out until he finally spoke again.

"I ran the stairs to the roof." Steve said that like it was the most natural thing in the world.

Chin and Kono looked at each other and shook their head. They knew that they were both going to have to keep an eye on Steve – it wouldn't do any of them any good if he pushed himself into the ground.

Steve glanced at his watch. "Why don't you two run home and get cleaned up. I'll keep watch tonight. I'm not sure when they're going to move him to Tripler, but I'll call you as soon as they do, okay?"

Chin nodded. "Do you want me to grab your bag from the truck? Maybe get Danny's too, in case he wakes and needs anything. I can stop by your house and pick up some more clothes and bring them tomorrow."

Steve hadn't even thought about that, but appreciated that Chin was one step ahead. He tossed him the truck keys. "Yeah, that'd be great. Thanks, you two."

Kono stepped over and gave him a quick hug, before doing the same – albeit a bit more carefully – to Danny. "Take care of him…and you, too. I mean it, Steve. I'm already worried about Danny – I don't want to have to worry about you not taking care of yourself, too."

Steve threw an arm around her shoulder and kissed the side of her head. "I'll be okay. Danny's going to need us, so I'm not going to do anything stupid here. If I don't remember my limits, feel free to remind me, however you see fit, okay?" He smiled as she nodded and made sure she had everything she came with.

The two cousins left Danny's room to go and grab the bags from the truck, leaving Steve to wander closer to Danny's bed and stare down at his best friend. On the outside, Steve's expression was like a blank canvas. Years of experience had taught him to keep his emotions in check, and to the casual observer, he looked like he was just quietly visiting his ill friend. No one could tell that he was tortured inside at the thought of his friend having to face a life filled with darkness. Danny had already had so much figurative darkness in his life at the hands of the crap life had thrown at him, and now potentially to have to live his life spent in literal darkness was almost more than he could bear.

No one could tell just how helpless he felt at not being able to do anything to fix this for him. No pleading, deal making, threatening, or torturing would fix the unfixable. He knew that if Danny was going to survive this, he was going to have to figure a way through this on his own. He was going to have to rely on his own strength to see things through.

Sometime while Steve was lost in his internal monologue, Danny had come to. He didn't let anyone know that she was awake, however – hell, he didn't even know if anyone was in the room with him. He was still trying to make sense of everything that had happened, and wasn't having much luck. He remembered flying home, and remembered having a headache but that was about it. All he knew was that he currently couldn't see anything, and was _freaking_ _the hell out_.

As far as he could tell, no one was saying anything to him about whether it was permanent or not – but again, he didn't remember much after the drive to the hospital and then waking up in the dark. He had some huge gaps, and for all he knew, he had carried on detailed conversations with the doctor about the darkness. One thing he did remember was the doctor telling him that he had to be patient, and that things should get better with time. Well _should_ was not a word that he dealt with very easily.

His mind shifted to his daughter, and without warning, he found himself having a hard time containing his anxiety. He suddenly realized that if this was a permanent new normal, he would never physically see his baby girl again. He would never watch her grow up. He would never watch her graduate from high school. He wouldn't go with her on college tours. He would never see her as a bride. He would never see her as a mom. He would never see his grandchild.

Vaguely, he heard a high-pitched beep and felt a familiar hand on his chest, and realized that his heart monitor was screaming its alarm. His cheeks felt wet, and he was mortified to realize that he had been crying. He could feel himself trembling with the force of trying not to break down, wanting...no, needing to get himself under control.

"It's okay, Danny. Just try to slow your breathing down, okay?" Steve's voice was calm. He could see that Danny had just gotten a cold splash of reality, and understandably, was not doing very well.

Danny's resolve to stay strong lasted mere seconds before the first sob choked from his throat. It was quickly followed by another, and then another, until he had his hands fisted in the sheets and was trying to claw his way out of the dark.

Steve sat on the edge of the bed, and tugged at Danny's shoulders until he was more upright. Not caring about anything other than comforting his brother, Steve gathered Danny into a tight hug. No words were needed, but as Danny broke down, Steve knew that this was only the beginning…that it was going to get much, much worse before it ever got better. And that scared the living shit out of him.

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	3. Chapter 3

_A/N: Thank you so much for all of the reviews and alerts. You guys really are the best! Onward..._

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Danny's breakdown didn't miraculously make things better. In fact, Dr. Makah had to come back in and give him a light sedative, as his heart and respiratory rates were off the charts. His anxiety level was palpable in the small room, and the doctor was concerned that he may go into physiological shock if he wasn't careful.

As Danny slumped back against the pillows, Steve adjusted the sheet over him, wiped at his eyes and stood up. Chin and Kono had come back, just before Danny woke up. They had seen the whole thing unfold, and it had rattled them – particularly Kono. Chin now had his arms wrapped around his cousin, trying to comfort her after they were witness to Danny shattering.

Dr. Makah motioned for the three to follow him – he really needed to know what was on their mind, and wanted to try to clear up any questions they might have.

None of the three moved at first, but after realizing that Danny most likely was out for at least a little while, they followed the doctor through the doorway into the conference room. Numbly, they sat around the table, not even sure of where to start their conversation.

Dr. Makah looked kindly at the three adults. "I know this is quite terrifying from a friend standpoint. I want…need you to know that we are doing everything we can for Danny. I can't tell you when it will happen, but I do believe that once the swelling goes down, Danny will regain his sight."

Steve looked like he wanted to punch a hole in the wall, so Chin cleared his throat. "How can we help Danny? What can we do?"

The doctor took a deep breath. "Be supportive, but try not to smother. It's disorienting to go from complete sight to total darkness, which is the level that Danny is experiencing right now. Does Danny have any anxiety issues that you know of?"

Steve nodded and pulled himself up straighter. "I don't know if it's in the same category as what you're referring to, but he does suffer from claustrophobia."

Dr. Makah nodded and made a few notes on his tablet. "That actually can make his anxiety worse – imagine that whatever Danny's brain processes feels like it's inside a closed off, dark space, and no matter what he does, he can't get away from it."

It was what Steve had feared earlier. Until Danny's sight returned, he would probably feel like he was stuck in a perpetual loop of claustrophobic terror.

Kono wiped at her eyes, so incredibly sad for her friend. It didn't matter how long or short this lasted – he was going through it _now_, and it was a very real nightmare that he couldn't wake up from.

Dr. Makah sighed. "I just want you to be prepared that he may lash out at you. You are the ones closest to him, and while realistically he's not expecting you to fix this for him, he's going to be angry that you _can't_ fix this for him."

Steve glanced at the cousins before turning back to Danny's doctor. "What about his daughter? Danny has a ten-year-old, and I know she'll want to see him. How should I prepare her for this?"

Dr. Makah nodded. "I guess it depends on how perceptive she is. You'll only be able to stall her for so long, especially if his condition continues for longer than we anticipate. Be honest with her, as much as you feel comfortable with, anyway. I've found that kids are fairly resilient. At the end of the day, though, she's going to be happy to have her dad around, and while she may worry about his injury, she won't care in the sense that his blindness won't change her opinion of him."

Steve agreed that Grace was resilient, but for how long? He wanted to go and see her in person, but didn't want to leave until he was sure that Danny was down for the count. "Doc? Do you think Danny will sleep for a while? I want to go and talk to his daughter in person. She's really worried about him, and I don't want her to spend the next few days dealing with the 'what ifs' in her head."

Dr. Makah glanced at his watch. "The sedative that I gave him was mild – I would think he would be awake within the next hour or so. Is there any way she could come here? It's not too late for her, is it? I know she can't go in and see him because of her age, but you could talk to her here, and I could answer any questions she might have."

Steve pulled out his phone. "I can see if Rachel can bring her. If not, then Chin or Kono can go and pick her up."

He made his phone call, and was assured that regardless of the 8:00 p.m. hour, Rachel would bring Grace by. Rachel understood the seriousness of Danny's injury, but also knew that her daughter was terrified that her Danno was going to die. No amount of telling her differently would dispel her fears. Hopefully meeting with the doctor would go a long way towards reassuring the little girl.

"His ex-wife will bring Grace in about twenty minutes. She'll call when they're in front of the building, and if I can step out, will go down and meet them. If Danny's having a rough time, Chin or Kono can go and get them."

Dr. Makah nodded and stood up. "I'm on for the next sixteen hours, and would be more than happy to talk to Grace. I know this is a very confusing time for all of Danny's loved ones, but the more you all can voice your questions and concerns, hopefully the fewer worries you all will gather."

They all convened back in Danny's room to wait for Rachel and Grace. There was no small talk – none of them knew just what to say. They all just wanted Danny to wake up and have this all behind him.

After another fifteen minutes, Steve's phone vibrated, and he knew that Rachel and Grace were downstairs. Danny still seemed to be resting comfortably, so he left him in Chin and Kono's care, while he jogged down the stairs and into the lobby.

He immediately spotted Grace, who sadly looked so much smaller than she was. Her fear seemed to be visibly weighing her down, and he rushed to her side.

"Uncle Steve!" Grace lifted her arms up and immediately was swept up into a tight hug.

He could feel her trembling, and squeezed her tight against his chest. "Hey, what's this? What's going on in your head, Gracie?" He sat down on the bench, keeping her in his lap.

"I just…I miss Danno. I know he's hurt bad, and I…I just don't want him to die." Her lower lip trembled with that admission. She couldn't get that thought out of her head, no matter how many times her mom told her otherwise. She had become stuck in that loop, and couldn't help but feel like she was going to lose one of the most important people in her world.

Steve placed his hand on the back of her head and clutched her close. "Grace, listen to me. I promise you that your dad is not going to die. In fact, we're going to go upstairs to the waiting room, and you can talk to Danno's doctor yourself. You can ask him any questions you want, and he promised to be honest with you. Chin and Kono are upstairs, too. Your dad is hurt pretty bad right now, but the kind of injuries he has are not the kind that that will make him die. Okay?"

Grace's breath hitched against his chest, but she nodded and wiped at her eyes. _'She could do this. She would be brave for her Danno'_.

Steve kept her in his arms, while he lightly guided Rachel towards the elevators. As they passed the small gift shop, Grace pointed out something that made Steve chuckle. Rachel just shook her head, but went in and made the purchase on her daughter's behalf.

All told, once they were finished shopping, it took less than a minute for them to board the elevators and reach the third floor; and Steve was pleased to see Dr. Makah waiting for them by the small waiting room.

As Steve sat down on the small couch, Dr. Makah placed two chairs in front of the sofa for both he and Rachel. "Grace? This is Dr. Kimo Makah. He's taking care of Danno while he's in this part of the hospital. Doc? This is Miss Grace Williams…Danny's pride and joy."

Kimo reached out his right hand and shook Grace's, as well as Rachel's hands before looking kindly back at Grace. "It's good to meet you both. Now…I know this is pretty scary, but I wanted to let you know how your dad is doing. Is that okay with you?"

Grace's eyes were huge as she nodded her head and grabbed Steve's hand. Whatever he said to her, at least she wasn't alone.

Dr. Makah pulled out a diagram of the human skull and showed it to Grace. "Well…your dad got bumped in the head pretty hard. He's got a bump right here…" Kimo pointed to the back of Danny's head. "Do you know what happens when you bump a part of your body really hard?"

Grace nodded. "It gets big, right?"

Kimo nodded. "Yep. That's right. We call that swelling. We think that's what is happening to your dad. His brain swelled where he bumped his head, and that swelling is pushing on the nerves that control his vision. See, Grace…when the nerves are squished, the signals don't get through to where they belong."

Seeing her quizzical expression, he tried to find another way to explain. "It's kind of like a straw. You can't drink through it when it's pinched closed, right? The same thing goes for that nerve. The signal gets stuck where it's pinched, which makes him not be able to see. We hope that when the swelling goes down, the nerves will get 'unstuck', and everything will go back to normal. He's sleeping right now, and when he wakes up, we'll see how he's feeling."

Rachel asked a few more questions while Grace sat lost in her thoughts. She wondered just what was happening to her Danno, and whether he was still asleep. She really hoped that his head didn't hurt too much. She had a headache once and it made her cry, which made her head hurt even worse. She really didn't like thinking of her dad crying. It made her insides very sad and jumpy. She also didn't like knowing that he was so close but that she couldn't see him. _It just wasn't fair_.

She looked up and was surprised to see Uncle Steve staring down at her. "Are you okay, babe?"

Grace just shook her head. She wanted to hug Danno more than anything, and knowing that she couldn't made the tears start again. "I just want to see him, Uncle Steve. I want to give him a hug and tell him that I love him. I won't hurt him…I promise."

Steve's heart broke as he watched Danny's daughter practically collapse under the weight of her emotions. There _had_ to be something they could do. He looked over at Dr. Makah, pleading for him to intervene.

Kimo nodded at Steve before standing up. "You guys wait here. I'll be right back, okay?" He couldn't afford Danny getting more upset knowing that his daughter was upset and he couldn't see her, but if he was still sleeping deeply, there was no reason why Steve couldn't bring her in for a quick hug – just to see for herself that he was there and hadn't left her.

Rachel tried to comfort her daughter, but she had latched onto Steve's shirt and would not let go. Rachel understood, given how close Steve and Danny were. There was a time when her feelings would have been hurt, but at this point in their lives, Steve was more of an uncle to Grace than a blood relative.

After a few moments, Dr. Makah poked his head into the room and motioned for Steve and Grace to follow. He looked apologetically towards Rachel, but she nodded her understanding. It was okay. This was Grace's need that was being fulfilled. She would wait until he was more stable.

As they walked towards Pod 5, Dr. Makah was speaking softly to Grace. "He doesn't have any special machines that are helping him breathe or anything like that, but he does have an IV in his arm, and an oxygen mask on his face. When Steve takes you in there, I need you to be really quiet, okay? Your dad needs to sleep to help him get better. But I know how worried you are, and I want you to be able to see him for yourself. If you're careful, you can even give him a kiss on his forehead. Would that be okay?"

Grace's eyes were wet, but she nodded firmly. She really wanted to curl up next to her dad so that he wouldn't feel lonely, but she knew that the doctor was taking a big chance even letting her see Danno, so she promised herself that she would take what she got and be okay with it. Tommy, in her class, always teased people by saying, _'you get what you get, and you don't throw a fit'_ – and she thought it was a really stupid saying. Right now though, Grace knew exactly what he meant by that.

Steve moved her more fully onto his hip as they entered Danny's room. He could feel her clutching his shirt, and wasn't sure how Grace was going to react, so he wanted to utilize a quick exit, if necessary. Kono and Chin each gave Grace a hug and a squeeze as they stepped out into the hallway, giving her much needed time with her dad.

Grace was quiet as she took in the sight of her dad sleeping in the hospital bed. On one hand, she was relieved, because he looked mostly normal – like any other time he was asleep. On the other hand, though, she was quite scared, as she knew that he was hurt on his head, and she knew that was very dangerous for him.

Steve walked them over quietly, smiling encouragingly at Grace as she rested her head on his shoulder. "Are you ready?" Steve whispered quietly, understanding the need to let Danny rest.

She nodded, and he held her securely and leaned her over Danny so that she could kiss his forehead. Once she had done what she needed to, Steve shifted her more securely in his arms as he stood up. He handed her the gift that she had gotten Danny, and watched as she kissed the small stuffed monkey and whispered, "_I love you, Danno. Get better soon._"

Steve blinked rapidly a few times, his heart breaking for not only Danny, but Grace as well. She had told him that getting him the monkey might help him get better, because it would remind him that she loved him – it would almost be like she was there with him all the time.

He helped her tuck the stuffed animal into the crook of Danny's arm before Dr. Makah motioned that it was time for them to go. Grace's eyes welled up as she pressed her fingers to her lips and gently leaned over to touch Danny's cheek, giving him one last kiss before Steve walked them from the room.

They had just gotten past the nurses' station before Grace lost it. All of the emotions, fears, and anxiety that had plagued her ever since Steve's phone call came pouring out of her in a rush. Chin motioned that he would stay with Danny, while Kono helped Steve rush her into the small kitchenette just inside the double doors.

"It's okay, Gracie. Just let it out, babe." Steve rocked her from side to side and lightly rubbed her back, while Kono busied herself gathering a few wet paper towels and a cup of ice-filled apple juice.

"What if he doesn't get better, Uncle Steve? What if Danno can't ever see again? Will he forget what I look like? Will he forget me?" Grace let it all come to the surface as she stayed tucked up against her uncle.

Steve's heart nearly broke at the despondent tone. He knew that much of this stemmed from Grace being worried about her dad, but it killed him to hear her so upset. "Hey, Gracie. I need you to try to calm down, okay?"

But there was no calming Grace right now. It was as if the dam burst, and all of her worries exploded out of her. "I just…w-want…t-to be…wh-where…my…d-dad is…and where y-you guys are. Wh-what i-if something ha-happens to D-D-Danno and I'm n-not...h-here?" Each word was practically a hiccup as she tried to talk through her tears.

Steve and Kono could tell that she was getting worked up, so they tried to get her to settle down. The last thing they wanted was for Grace to make herself sick.

"Ssshhh, Grace. I know that you're scared right now, and that's okay. But we need you to take a breath, okay? Can you do that?"

Grace had unleashed a flood, and found herself unable to stop. "I just want…t-to… stay until…my…d-dad goes h-h-home. He w-will...be all alone h-here. I don't want…t-to…leave him…a-lone. W-why…can't…I…d-do…th-that? I…just...want…m-my…dad."

Steve held her tight against his chest, wanting her to feel some sense of security. He knew that he had to step in and help keep an eye on Grace until Danny was back up on his feet – he owed his brother at least that much. "Grace, I need you to listen to me. Can you do that, babe? Just take a couple of breaths and try to slow down. Breathe in…and out…in…and out."

Steve kept up the cadence until Grace finally was able to relax her breathing and regain some control. She had gone somewhat slack in his arms, and Steve knew that she had finally calmed to the point where she might be able to hear him.

Kono mouthed that she was going to let Rachel know what was going on, giving Steve a chance to try to settle Grace down.

He shifted her back so that he could see her face, and his heart just hurt as he took in her tear-stained cheeks and swollen eyes. "Aww, Gracie – everything is going to be okay. I promise you. I know you're scared, but your dad is tough. He's got a fight ahead of him, but he's strong, like you."

Grace's breath hitched as she tried to stop the last few tears from rolling down her cheeks. "I ju-just miss him, Uncle St-Steve. He's...g-going to b-be scared by h-himself."

Steve kissed the side of her head and hugged her again. "Gracie, I'm so proud of you. Do you know why?"

Grace shook her head and wiped at her eyes.

"Because, sweetheart. You're scared for your dad, and that's okay. But even though you're scared, you still are trying to make him feel better. Do you know what the word 'courage' means?"

Grace shrugged one shoulder, absentmindedly playing with Steve's button down shirt.

"I learned this when I was in the SEALs. A good friend of mine used to say that 'courage is not the absence of fear. It's feeling the fear, and doing it anyway'. Babe, you are being so brave. I know you're worried that he's going to be alone, but I promise you, he's not. Not only does he have his temporary monkey keeping him company, but one of us will be here all the time. Chin and Kono are going to go home tonight and sleep, but I'm staying here. Tomorrow, one of them will come so that I can go home for a little while. And remember…as soon as he's out of the ICU, you can visit him more. I swear to you, Grace. I will take good care of your dad."

Grace wrapped her arms around Steve's neck. "I know, Uncle Steve. Danno says that there isn't anyone he trusts more than you to watch his back."

Steve swallowed against the sudden lump in his throat and using his thumb and forefinger, wiped at the moisture in his eyes. "I feel the same way about your dad, Gracie. I feel the same way."

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	4. Chapter 4

_A/N: I'm hosting Easter dinner tomorrow for about 12 people, so I decided to post this tonight instead. This chapter starts to get a bit dark...I hope I did it justice - I'd really love to know what you think! _

After Steve had taken Grace back to Rachel and said his good-byes, he returned to Danny's room. Chin had brought his overnight bag, so he quickly took a few minutes to clean up a little.

When he came out of the small bathroom, he noticed that Danny was starting to get a little restless, signaling his eventual return to consciousness. Stashing his bag in the small closet, he walked quickly to the chair at the side of Danny's bed.

"It's all right, Danny. You're safe. You're okay." Except that Steve knew he wasn't okay. Not by a long shot. But he hoped the sound of his voice would be less jarring that just jerking awake in a panic.

After a few moments, Danny's eyes fluttered open. He was still a bit fuzzy from the sedative, and he licked at his lips and swallowed hard, trying to feel just a little bit human. "Hey…"

Steve reached for the cup of ice. "Here's some ice, Danny." Putting a couple of chips onto a spoon, he placed them at the seam of Danny's lips and waited for him to take them. After they dissolved, Danny shook his head – even the thought of more ice had him reeling.

He was still dizzy and disoriented, but a hundred times worse because he couldn't get a feel for what was up or down.

"Are you hungry at all, Danny? You really should try to eat a little something." Steve's voice was coming from his right, so he turned his head to compensate.

"…'m okay." Danny's voice was rough from sleep, and he swallowed hard to see if he could get things working again.

Steve just shook his head. "How about some juice or something? You've got to be pretty thirsty by now."

Danny pushed himself up a little higher in the bed. "I _said_ I was okay. I don't want any juice, or any food, or any anything. Okay?"

"Okay, Danny. I'm sorry." Steve hadn't meant to upset his friend, but he was worried about him. He _did_ have the IV in, but it would be better if he could consume his nutrition by mouth.

Danny sighed softly. "No, Steve. I'm the one who is sorry. I just…I don't know what the hell I'm doing here, you know? I feel like I'm about to come out of my skin, and there's nothing that I can do to make it any better."

Steve reached out and squeezed Danny's hand in support. "Just remember…you're not alone in this. I'm here…I'm not going anywhere. Whatever you need, Danny…I've got you."

Danny yawned, nearly splitting his jaw in half. "Sorry…what time is it?"

Steve glanced at his watch. "It's almost 10:00 p.m."

Danny nodded, settling more comfortably against the pillow. "That explains why I'm so wiped. I'm going to try to get some sleep. You don't have to stay, Steve. I can do this on my own.

Steve smiled fondly at the bravado, but he wasn't fooled. "Nope. Remember…you don't have to do this alone. I'm not going anywhere. It kind of sounds like they're going to move you to Tripler tomorrow morning. And guess what? I'm going with you then, too. Face it, Danny. You're stuck with me."

The corner of Danny's mouth quirked up in a small smile. "I guess there are worse people to be stuck with."

Steve just chuckled as Danny shut his eyes and eventually drifted off to sleep. It was good to see a glimpse of his friend, even if it was buried down deep.

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All told, it had been almost a week since Danny's transfer to Tripler. The doctors had run test after test on him, and the best they could offer him was that '_all signs indicate that his sight should return once the swelling goes down, and that he should just be patient. It would just take time._' Patient his ass. That was easy for them to say. And time? They certainly had things that they could do with their time. They could work. They could see their family and their friends. They could read. God, he missed reading. That was one thing that very few people knew about Danny – he was a voracious reader in what little spare time he had.

He had heard plenty of books on tape over the last week, but it wasn't the same as seeing the words come alive on the page. He wiped at his sightless eyes once again and let out an exasperated breath. He tried to convince himself that they were just books. They were _just_ books that he had been given by his parents when he was a little boy. They were _just_ books that had provided him an escape from the pain that had surrounded much of his childhood. They were _just_ books that had allowed him to see a world where children were not teased cruelly and hurtfully about their height, nor were they made fun of because they had an uncle who had been busted very publically for drug use.

Flopping back against the pillows, he gave in to the emotions that were swallowing him whole. He wrapped his arms around his middle and finally let the swearing escape. At first, he tried to muffle it into the pillow, but eventually gave up. He had his occupational therapy session in a few minutes, and at this point, he really didn't give a damn whether Shari or any of his other therapists knew that he had been upset.

He knew that he was being childish and petulant, but he didn't give a flying fuck any longer. He didn't _want_ to go to occupational therapy to learn to cope with his blindness. He didn't fucking _want_ to be blind, damn it – but nobody asked him, did they? He just wanted his life back. He wanted to escape that long forgotten feeling of rejection that living in darkness had dredged to the surface once again.

What he really wanted, however, he could not have. He wanted to simply allow himself to let loose and cry until, ironically, his eyes were swollen shut. He wanted to curl up into a little ball and just hide from the world. Most of all, though…he just wanted to wake up tomorrow and find that this was all some sort of horrible dream.

His mood had been slowly spiraling downward the longer he was left in the literal dark. He just didn't care any longer. He just wanted to go home, but in order to do that, he had to prove that he was capable of surviving outside the hospital. And right now, as evidenced by the bruises covering his legs, he was not doing a very good job of survival. He was a detective and a member of the Governor's Task Force, for fuck's sake. So why was it so difficult to use a cane to navigate a series of obstacles set around the room without causing bodily harm? Why couldn't he remember that a twenty dollar bill was always folded in fourths, while a ten dollar bill was folded in half?

"Damn it," he bellowed as he angrily flung all of the items on his hospital table to the floor. He was sick and tired of feeling sick and tired. His friends walked on eggshells around him, not wanting to believe the reality that was his life. He knew that they were scared for him, but how was he supposed to make them feel better when he was barely hanging on himself?

He hadn't been afraid of the dark since Matty had locked him in the basement when he was younger, but didn't want to admit to anyone that the darkness terrified him now more than ever. How could he explain that each moment that he lived trapped in obscurity was more terrifying than the last? How could he explain that he felt like he was suffocating in his darkness, and that he would never be free of that trapped feeling?

He was Detective Danny Williams. He wasn't supposed to be afraid…he was supposed to be the strong one. He was the one who was supposed to make others afraid of him, not spend his days and nights jumping at the sounds that seemed to follow him everywhere.

It was one of those sounds that nearly made him jump out of her skin. "Come in," he said softly in response to the knock on the door. He tried to wipe his eyes, but eventually gave up, not really caring who saw him right then.

"Hey Danny, how are you…" Steve never finished his sentence as he caught sight of the emotional battle being waged on his friend's face and the destruction that littered the floor.

He turned towards the sound of his voice. "I'm just great. How are you doing?" His tone was unnaturally upbeat, and Steve knew that he was lying through his teeth. He quietly walked over towards the bed and flinched as Danny visibly jumped when he touched his shoulder.

"Damn it, Steve. Can you try to make a little noise? I hate when people sneak up on me. It's not like I can fucking see you coming, you know?" When Steve just stood there quietly, Danny dropped his head in shame. "I didn't mean that." His voice was but a whisper as the emotion choked him again.

With a tremulous sigh, he leaned back against the pillows. "Steve…I _am_ sorry. I shouldn't be taking this out on you. I'm just frustrated, I guess. They're saying that the swelling is going down, but I still can't see anything. No light. No shadows. Nothing. They're pushing me to go to occupational therapy, but I'm afraid that if I go, it's like I'm accepting being blind. And Steve?" He was fighting tears again now. "Steve? I don't want to accept that. I _can't_ accept that."

Steve knew that there was nothing he could say or do that was going to make this right. He couldn't tell him that everything was going to be okay, because he just didn't know. He knew that he was terrified, but had absolutely no idea how to help him. That was the part that made him so damned angry…at Danny's situation, and at himself. He had always been the one to try to fix things for people, and the fact that he couldn't fix this was eating away at him.

Danny hated that he couldn't be stronger, but damn it, he was terrified. He wanted to be able to see his friends again. He wanted to be able to watch Grace as she grew into a beautiful young woman. What about her eventual children? Would he ever be able to see who they resembled?

He knew that he was supposed to be strong, but right now, all he wanted to do was let Steve do his 'take charge' thing that he does and simply take all of this away…protect him from the monsters in the dark. How stupid was that? He was a grown man, who wanted his best friend to fight his battles for him. No wonder he felt so pathetic…because he _was_ pathetic, wallowing like he was.

A gentle knock was followed by a petite blonde-haired woman poking her head into the room. "You didn't come down for therapy, so I figured I'd come and get you instead."

Danny shook his head in irritation. "Shari, it's not a good time, okay? I'll just come tomorrow. It's not like it's helping, anyway."

Shari cocked her head in amusement. "Ooh. Sarcastic today, are we? This ought to be fun."

Danny shot a glare in what he hoped was Shari's direction. "Look. I know you're just doing your job, but I really don't want to be bothered right now, okay? I'm covered in bruises. I'm sick and tired of not being able to manage by myself. And do you want to know what sucks so hard right now? I can't even be a good blind person. I can't find my way around without getting hurt. I can't seem to remember the system that you put in place for my kitchen, so cooking wouldn't be something that I would be doing any time soon. I'm afraid that I'm not going to be able to ever be independent again, much less be trusted to take care of my daughter; and I'm even more afraid that I'm going to forget what the people that I love look like. What if I forget, Shari? What if I can't remember what they look like?" It was thoughts like that that seemed to drag him down the most.

He tried to lash out again and find something to throw, but Steve caught his arm and prevented him from taking a header off of the bed. He could feel the pain rolling off of him in waves as Danny struggled with the dizziness that was a constant presence these days.

Shari spoke gently as she approached the bed. "Danny, I know you're scared. Anyone in your situation would be. And it's okay to be scared. You don't have to be strong all of the time. It's okay to ask for help."

Looking at Danny's trembling form, Shari nodded softly. "I'd say that that's enough therapy for one day. Just because we want you to learn to be independent, doesn't mean that we're giving up hope. We just want you to be safe and confident in the meantime, okay? I expect to see you tomorrow, Danny. No more excuses."

She gave Steve a brief wave as she left the room. He nodded his head briefly before turning towards his best friend. "Danny, talk to me. Tell me what I can do." He knew from the tear tracks that Danny was still upset.

"Nothing. There's nothing that you can do to fix this, Steve." Just like that, the emotion was gone from his voice. He shifted so that he was now turned away from him and closed his eyes. "I'm tired, Steve. I'm going to try to get some sleep now, okay? You don't have to stick around. I'm sure that you have better things to do than baby-sit me. Thanks for coming."

Even though Steve knew what he was doing, it didn't change the fact that it hurt to see Danny pushing him away. He was trying to act tough, but Steve knew better than that. "Danny, you can try, but you're not going to get rid of me. You're my best friend…my brother; and I'm going to be here for you, no matter what happens."

He knew Danny's habits, and knew that he hated to feel weak at all. He'd rather push everyone away than to let anyone see him unable to function normally. What worried him, though, was although it was not laced with the same venom and anger, Danny was starting to shut Grace out.

It was if he was trying to reject her before she could somehow reject him? It was so wrong, though, on so many levels. Where Danny's head was, though, he couldn't see that Grace just wanted Danny, however she could get him. It didn't matter to her that he couldn't see – he could still hug, and comfort, and love – and that was enough for her. Too bad that it wasn't enough for Danny right now.

Danny didn't respond to Steve's comments, but Steve could see him trying to control his breathing as he kept his eyes closed. After five long, tense minutes had passed, Steve could see that his breathing had evened out and that he really was asleep. Reluctantly, he grabbed his keys and headed for the doorway. There was no telling how long Danny would sleep, and he really needed to check in at the office.

Chin and Kono were on their way over to Tripler, which made Steve feel a little better. Despite Danny's wishes, he was never alone…one of the three of them stayed close at all times, wanting Danny to know that they were there for him.

Steve stepped into the elevator, bumping into Chin and Kono. He swore inwardly, not really in the mood for a long conversation right now, feeling the sudden need to escape somehow.

One look on Steve's face convinced the cousins that conversation was the last thing that Steve needed. Chin motioned that he would continue towards Danny's room, and as soon as the elevator doors closed, Kono punched the button that would lead them to the hospital gym. Danny's new physician at Tripler, Dr. Parks, had cleared the team's use of the facility, as rudimentary as it was.

Steve looked quizzically at his friend, but Kono wasn't saying anything. She merely waited for the doors to open before stepping out into the hallway.

Steve followed her, as she seemed hell bent on getting him into the gym. Steve half-smiled as he noticed where they were. ""Ass kicking, Kono? How did you know that that was just what I needed?" He followed Kono into the main gym and quickly grabbed a set of hand wraps. Maybe a good workout would help clear his head.

It didn't take long before the two were changed with their hands wrapped up. They each were standing in front of a heavy bag, practically beating the stuffing out of them. The continued their ruthless pace for another half-hour or so, jabbing and punching and kicking, before collapsing onto the floor.

Kono sagged so that she was lying on her back on the mat, breathing heavily. She was in really good shape, but still had a way to go before she could keep up with her boss. "So how is he doing?" She accepted the towel that Steve tossed her way and began to wipe the sweat from her face and arms.

Steve took a long drink of water and tried to think of the best way to respond. "He's hiding, Kono, and I can't blame him at all. He's scared and trying to push everyone away – even Grace. I've been able to stall her for the most part, but she's going to pick up on it sooner or later. And it will crush her."

He ran the towel through his hair and sat with his back up against the bag. "He's not going to his therapy appointments, because he thinks that'll mean that he's giving up on ever regaining his sight."

Kono sat up and grabbed her own water bottle. "So has there been any change in his sight yet, now that the swelling is starting to go down?" She unwrapped the straps from her hands before tossing them to the floor.

Steve shook his head. "That's what has him so freaked out. The swelling has gone down somewhat, but there hasn't been any change in his sight. He's starting to think that it will never come back. I'm afraid that he's giving up, Kono."

Kono glanced sympathetically at her friend, who looked wrecked. "God, Steve. That really sucks. I wish I knew what to do, here, but I feel so helpless, too."

Steve took a deep breath and exhaled forcefully. "Thanks, Kono. I really appreciate you and Chin being here. I know Danny's family, but I appreciate you keeping an eye out on me, too. I know I haven't made it too easy on you guys. And I know Danny is thankful for the both of you, even if he can't say it right now."

Kono just squeezed Steve's shoulder as they stood and headed for the changing rooms. "I know, Boss. I know."

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	5. Chapter 5

_A/N: Thanks for all of the reviews and alerts. I really appreciate them. Onward and downward?_

_I own nothing related to Hawaii Five-0. No copyright infringement intended._

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Steve glanced at the clock in his truck and swore softly. If he didn't hit a lot of traffic, he would still have time to take Grace to see Danny before he had to get her back home. He was late getting out of the office, but Rachel was being very understanding with their odd schedule. Kono and Chin were already there, having taken the afternoon shift while Steve had taken care of a few paperwork issues at the office.

Steve was trying not to be frustrated, but he felt like he was grasping at straws where Danny was concerned, since Danny was determined to shut everyone out. He hadn't wanted anyone around him; even Steve. He seemed to think that everyone would be better off if they just left him alone. Despite his desire to not let Danny push him away, Steve admitted that Danny certainly had tried his damndest. He wasn't giving up, though, and was hoping that Grace would spark some sort of positive emotion in Danny.

He hated that Danny was acting like this, but in many ways, he couldn't really blame him. No one could. Since none of them had been in his shoes, they weren't in any position to criticize or judge him. There was no one set rule that said how he should act, now that he was thrust into a world where he didn't belong. Blindness wasn't suited for someone as animated and alive as Danny, not that it was particularly suited for _anyone_. But Danny's life was about action, and being in control, and taking care of his daughter. It was about _living_. It wasn't about hiding, and being afraid, and cowering in the dark.

Steve took a deep breath as he parked his truck in the garage. He was trying to be supportive, but the truth was, he missed his best friend. He missed Danny's ranting. He missed the sound of his laughter echoing through the bullpen at work. Plain and simple, he missed _him_.

Holding Grace's hand and walking to catch the elevator, he tried to collect his thoughts before he got to Danny's room. He didn't want him to pick up on the fact that he was frustrated and scared for him. He was pretty sure that Danny was feeling enough of that himself.

His heart skipped a beat along with the ding of the elevator as they stopped on Danny's floor, and he suddenly appreciated Grace's hand in his – it was grounding and forced him to ratchet his anxiety down a level or two or ten. He was unusually edgy for some reason, and he wasn't sure why.

As they approached his door, he was alarmed at the sign on his closed door. '_All visitors please report to the nurse's station before entering.'_ What in the hell did that mean? Why were visitors being asked to check in with the nurse? He and Grace walked quickly to the desk and was greeted by Angie, one of his favorite nurses.

"Ang, what's going on? Why is Danny's door closed?" Steve glanced down at Grace's worried face before looking back, hoping that Danny would be standing in the doorway, waiting for them. He noticed Chin and Kono in the waiting room, and as he caught their eye, they both shook their heads sadly. It was clear that something was going on with Danny.

"Steve, I'm sorry. He's asked that we not let anyone in to see him." Angie could see Steve start to say something, so she cut him off gently. "Even you, Steve."

She glanced sadly down at Grace, who was looking down at her shoes. "He just really wants to be left alone right now. Shari knows what's going on, and she's going to get on him when she comes to get him for therapy, but until she gets here, we have to go with what Danny wants."

Steve looked a little stunned as he stared at the ground. He couldn't decide if he was sad or pissed off that he was being like this. He wasn't going to deny that he had hurt him by shutting him out, but on the other hand…hurting Grace like this?

He pinched the bridge of his nose and let out an exasperated breath. He was going to have to do some damage control where Grace was concerned, but after that…all bets were off. He briefly met Angie's eyes before turning back towards the elevator. "Can you tell him…just tell him that…" His voice trailed off. "You know what? Never mind. I'll talk to him later."

He and Grace got onto the elevator without glancing back. He just needed to get both of them away from the hospital. He knew that Kono and Chin would understand his need to protect Grace right now. But rest assured, he _would_ be coming back later to take his shift.

As they stepped out of the lobby and onto the sidewalk, Steve found a bench near a large hibiscus and motioned for Grace to sit down. "Hey, Gracie. I'm really sorry that we couldn't see Danno tonight."

Grace's eyes were damp. "Is he mad at me, Uncle Steve? Did I do something wrong?"

Steve scooped Grace up and set him on his lap. "Grace, absolutely no. I promise you. Danno isn't mad at you. He's just having a really hard time with what happened to him, and he's taking it out on the people he loves the most. I know it doesn't make sense, but that's what people do sometimes."

He tried to figure out a better analogy, and finally settled on the best he could come up with. "Have you ever had a really bad day at school, and then come home and snapped at your mom or dad?"

Grace nodded. She did that sometimes, especially when Tommy made her mad.

Steve wiped at her tears before settling her more securely against his chest. "Why do you think you did that? You weren't mad at them, were you?"

Grace nodded. "No, but I knew that if I got angry, they wouldn't get upset at me for it. They would just let me be mad, and then I would feel better."

Steve smiled – she had hit it on the head. "Now why do you think they just let you be mad?"

Grace shrugged one shoulder. "I don't know. Because they love me?"

Steve hugged her tightly for a moment. "Exactly. I think that's why your dad is kind of mad at everyone right now – and because he knows we love him, he's pretty sure we aren't going to get upset at him for it." Steve didn't tell her that _he_ was most likely going to be upset at Danny later, though.

Grace sighed softly. "I understand it, Uncle Steve. But I miss him so much. I just want my Danno home, even if he can't see. I don't care – that's not why I love him as my dad. I love him just because he's my dad. I want him to know that I don't care."

Steve kissed the side of her head before standing up, keeping Grace in his arms. "I know you do, babe. And I promise you that if I get a chance to talk to your dad, I'm going to tell him just what you said."

Grace hugged Steve's neck for a moment. "Maybe if we keep telling him those things, he'll start to feel better?"

Steve set her down as he unlocked the Silverado. "I hope so, Gracie. I hope so.

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Chin and Kono were right where Steve last saw them when he left to take Grace back to Rachel's house. It was clear that none of them were willing to leave Danny, regardless of what he was trying to tell them. "Were either of you able to see Danny earlier?"

Chin shook his head. "The note's been up most of the day. The nursing staff has been in and out, but every time we ask, they just say that he wants to be alone. Angie mentioned having someone come and see Danny – maybe he can get a different perspective if he talks to someone who doesn't know him like we do…and who he won't have to try to be strong for?"

Steve sighed. "It's just...this refusing to see anyone? I don't know how to help him any more."

Chin put his hand on Steve's shoulder, more to stop him from pacing than anything else. "Maybe it's not up to you at this point. Maybe it's time for him to help himself."

Steve looked at his friend. "What do you mean?"

As they found chairs to sit down in, Kono chimed in. "This is happening to him, Steve. This is what _his_ life is right now. Maybe this isn't something that you can help him with. Maybe none of us can help her right now. He knows we're here, but I think that he has to be the one to work through whatever is going through his head. I'm not saying that shutting himself off is the smartest thing he's ever done, but maybe he needs some space to sort things out."

Steve looked quickly at Kono, understanding from her nod that she had done much the same thing when she blew out her knee. It made sense in his head, but his heart was in so much pain for his friend. He truly hated that there was nothing he could do to make this better for him.

Taking a deep breath, Steve nodded but looked dejected. "What you're saying makes sense, guys. It really does. But it still hurts, you know? I've always tried to make things right for people, but this time, I have to just sit back and watch as he struggles through all of this? I don't know if I can do it." His voice wavered slightly.

Kono pulled him into a friendly hug. "You don't have a choice, Boss."

As Steve eventually sat back, he looked warily at the young woman seated beside him. "When did you get so smart?" Steve managed a small smile, but it didn't fully reach his eyes.

Kono tried to look serious, but the twinkle in her eyes gave her away. "It's all an act, you know. If you guys ever found out that I'm smart, you'd make me do more paperwork. We don't want that, now do we?"

Steve appreciated her attempt at levity, but ultimately, he just wasn't in the mood right now. He told the cousins that he would stay all night, and that it was time for them to get some rest. Hopefully, after a plan started forming in his head, they all would be able to get some rest.

The longer he sat there, the more determined he was to get through to Danny, if it was the last thing he did. And knowing his temper, it just might be the last thing he did. But he had to try. If not for Danny, then for Grace. She needed her dad back, and it was time for something to change.

He turned back towards Danny's door and thought that the sign on his door seemed freakishly out of place, taking on a mocking tone, as if it was daring anyone to disobey the warning.

He quickly caught sight of one of the nurses and motioned her over. "I know that hospitals need to be quiet, but is there a limit?"

Not sure just what he was asking her, the nurse shrugged her shoulders. "I suppose there is. Why?"

Steve pointed towards Danny's door. "I know the sign says keep out, but I'm going in. And I'm going to try to talk to him. And I know him, so I have a feeling that it's not going to be very quiet once I say what I have to say." Steve looked only slightly apologetic. "I just wanted you guys to know."

The nurse smiled. She was well aware of Danny's mood, and personally, thought that this might be just what he needed. "You should be okay. There aren't any patients on either side of him, and as long as you keep the door closed, the sound doesn't travel too far."

Steve blew out a cautious breath as he nodded his head. "Good. If I'm not out in about a half-hour, you might want to check and see if I'm still okay. Don't tell anyone, but I'm a Navy SEAL, and Danny sometimes scares me."

The nurse just grinned. "Thirty minutes. Duly noted. And good luck to you, Commander."

Steve didn't even bother knocking on the door. He just opened it and walked inside; making sure it was shut tightly behind him. As he saw Danny resting in bed, he must have sighed a little too loudly because his best friend turned his head right towards towards where he was standing.

"Who's there? I said no visitors." Danny sounded mad, and Steve hadn't even said a word. Getting him to open up might not be as hard as he thought.

"Tough, Danny. I'm here, and I'm staying." Steve set his wallet onto a chair.

Danny took a deep shuddering breath. "I mean it, Steve. Get out. I don't want to see you or anyone right now."

Steve stood his ground. "Nope." He watched as Danny struggled with what to do next. He knew that he had been getting his way lately, so he wasn't entirely sure how to handle this sudden intrusion.

Steve easily sidestepped the empty plastic water glass that flew past his head. "Not bad, Danny. Next time, try about three more feet to your right."

Danny flung the covers back and groped for the cane that Shari was trying to get him to use. "Why won't you just fucking leave me alone, Steve? Just get the hell out of my room!" His voice rose in volume and he fumbled as he tried to unfold the cane.

Steve stood his ground, his heart nearly breaking in two as he watched Danny struggle. "I'm serious, Danny. If you want me out, you're going to have to throw me out."

He held his breath as Danny tentatively put the cane on the floor and tried to feel his way around. Realizing that he wasn't going to get very far from his spot in bed, he slowly stood up and tried to ignore the dizzy feeling that overcame him every time he stood up. It only lasted a few seconds, but it was unnerving, to say the least, especially in the dark. He had a hard time figuring out which way was up sometimes, and then to try to navigate his environment without getting hurt?

Once he had his bearings, he took small steps forward, feeling his way. He didn't realize that Steve had silently moved to the other side of the bed, to give him the space that he needed. "Is this fun, Steve? Did you come to watch the cripple make a fool out of himself? Well get a good look, damn it. This is it. This is what my life has become. Isn't it fucking great?"

As he reached the wall and slowly worked his way back around so that he was facing the middle of the room once again, Steve asked the one question that he knew was going to get him in trouble. "Are you finished feeling sorry for yourself yet?"

Once Danny heard where he was, he methodically advanced until he reached the bed. "What?" His therapy had taught him enough to know to move past the end of the bed before continuing towards the sound of Steve's voice. "Steve, why are you doing this? Why won't you just leave me alone?"

Steve let the tip of Danny's cane brush against his foot and waited to see what he would do next…waited for the inevitable. He knew his partner well enough to not let his guard down, and he wasn't disappointed when he suddenly tried to take a swing. He knew that the swing wasn't necessarily directed at him personally, but was just a culmination of a long week's worth of helplessness and frustration bottled up inside.

As he caught Danny's wrists, the dam burst. He thrashed and fought against Steve as he poured out all of his anger, fear and grief over his lost life. Carefully, Steve held on as he started to purge himself of the stagnant thoughts that had built up and festered inside of him.

Steve knew where he was coming from, to a certain extent, having been injured more times than he could count while with various SEAL Units. Granted, he'd never been through the kind of hell Danny was going through, but he'd had experience wondering whether his life would end up being undeniably changed after he recovered from the damage.

"God, Steve. I hate this. I hate that I'm not getting any better. I hate that I have to learn to use this damn cane, when all I want to do is be able to walk out of here on my own. There's not going to be any more 'on my own' is there? I'm always going to have to have the cane, or a dog, or someone helping me. Do you know what that's like? Always having to have help for everything? It's humiliating, Steve. Is that what my daughter gets to look forward to? Being a parent-sitter? Picking out my clothes? Fuck, Steve. I have to…I can't… I feel like I'm falling apart, and I can't stop it. The sad thing is? I truly don't care any more. I just don't care."

With those last four words, Danny sagged against him as his energy was finally spent. Steve helped him sink down to the floor and sat next to him, allowing him to lean not only against the wall, but against his shoulder, if he needed some support. His breath came in ragged gasps, as he had thoroughly exhausted himself with his outburst. Every few minutes, a new wave of sobs tore through him, and Danny was frustrated that he was powerless to stop them.

Steve just put his arm around Danny's shoulder as he tried to regain control. After practically shutting himself off from the world for the last few days, the sudden purging of emotions was too much. He struggled to sit up, panicked because he couldn't seem to catch his breath. He was teetering on the edge of an anxiety attack, and Steve tried to help him step back from the panic.

The miniscule amount of food that he'd managed to eat suddenly threatened to make a second appearance, and Danny visibly paled, as the nausea washed over him. He broke out into a cold sweat and clapped a hand over his mouth, gagging as his stomach protested the emotional upheaval.

Steve reached for the trash can and held it in place as Danny spit weakly. It was all just dry heaves, but it left Danny feeling like he'd been through the wringer. "Danny, you're okay. You just need to try to slow down a little bit. I know you're scared. I am too." He spoke softly to him, and rocked very slightly from side to side, much like he'd do with a frightened child. "Just listen to my voice, okay? It's going to be all right."

It took a few minutes, but he managed to calm down enough to where Steve could help him back to his bed. Once he had gotten him situated with a cold wet washcloth and a few ice chips to soothe his throat, he sat on the end of the bed, facing Danny.

"Are you feeling any better?" Steve kept his fingers crossed that he hadn't pushed him too hard, but he also knew that he had to get it out. Danny's medical team was worried that he was sinking into a deep depression, and this just reinforced their concerns.

"I really want to see Grace, Steve." Danny sounded so lost and alone that Steve hated himself for what he was about to say.

"She's not here, Danny. I brought her earlier." He took a deep breath. Honesty was the name of the game, right? "We tried to stop in before she had to go back to Rachel's, but…"

"…I didn't want to see anyone." With that, he lost control of his emotions once again. He knew that he was responsible for this. There was no one to blame but himself. If anything happened to Grace before he saw her again, it would be all his fault.

"Danny, stop it. It's not your fault." Steve doubted that he realized that he was mumbling out loud. He just knew that beating himself up over this was not going to help the situation any.

"Danny, look at me." He cursed inwardly at his stupidity as he turned towards the sound of his voice. "Fuck. I'm sorry, Danny. I didn't mean it like that."

Danny tried to smile. "It's okay, Steve. You're the first person who hasn't tried to walk on eggshells in a while. I deserved all of that, and then some."

Danny tried to blink the tears from his eyes, but soon gave up. They were falling faster than he could keep up with them. All he could manage was to sink back against the pillows with the cold cloth over his eyes.

Steve glanced at his watch and swore inwardly. He wasn't sure if he would be able to catch Rachel, but he figured he'd take a chance. He quietly punched in the numbers to Rachel's phone and held his breath. As soon as the voicemail picked up, Steve hung up and left her a short text message to call him as soon as possible. He didn't leave a voice mail because he didn't want to get Danny's hopes up if he were to hear him talking to Rachel or to Grace.

As he watched Danny's morose expression, it ate at Steve just how hopeless he truly felt. Yes, he had gotten Danny mad enough to let a little of the pain go, but at what cost? He was physically flagging right now, thanks to the emotional diarrhea he had just experienced. His mental state was precarious, at best. Steve knew that something would have to be done if they were to get Danny back in one piece.

After a few minutes, Steve's phone lit up with a text message. It was Rachel, asking him to call her back when he could. Not wanting to leave Danny just yet, he texted her a brief version of what happened, and asked if there was any possible way that Grace could come back.

Rachel's reply was brief. _"Are you sure?"_ Steve didn't mind – it was justified after the turn of events earlier.

_"Yeah. Danny's had a rough time, but I really think this was a breakthrough. He's asking for Grace."_ Steve kept an eye on Danny while he was texting with Rachel. The cold cloth hadn't moved, but he knew that Danny was still awake. He would be willing to be that Danny was feeling pretty wretched right about now.

After what felt like an eternity, Rachel's text lifted a huge weight off of Steve's shoulders. _"I'll bring her. Do you want me to stay, just in case? Or have Lt. Kelly bring her home?"_

Steve quietly thumbed his answer. "_One of the team can drop her off. That okay? I know Danny needs to see her – to apologize. Will be good for both of them."_

After Rachel agreed to Steve's plan, Steve sent a mental plea to his best friend. _'Just hang in there, buddy. Grace is on her way._'

"You doing okay, Danny?" Steve kept his voice quiet, in case Danny had dozed off.

Danny's voice was rough as he whispered, "Head hurts."

Steve sympathized with him. He hadn't had too many crying jags in his lifetime, but he did remember the hellacious headaches that typically followed. "What would help? Another cold cloth? An ice pack?"

Danny inhaled carefully. "Maybe ice?" The pounding in his head had reached near migraine proportions, and he was afraid the nausea would soon join the pounding in his head on their quest to turn his stomach completely inside out.

Steve carefully stepped out into the hallway, smiling at the older nurse who had been keeping an ear out for the fallout. "Hi. Danny's got a pretty bad headache…can I get an ice pack for his head? He said it might help. Maybe some pain meds, too? His daughter is coming in a little while – hopefully he won't be too groggy? I know he really wants to talk to her."

Ema nodded and walked briskly to the small kitchenette. Before long, she returned with an ice bag filled with some crushed ice and a little water to make it slushy.

"Here you go, Commander. I'll grab his pain medication and bring it in in a minute. Did things go about like you thought they would?" Steve nodded, but it didn't help the fact that she was concerned for Danny. She had been his nurse for the past two days, and was very concerned over his mindset. She hated that he seemed to be withdrawing inside of himself. Fortunately, his team was aware, and was going to be trying a very low dose anti-anxiety medication, at least on a temporary basis.

He was also going to be meeting with a therapist who was uniquely qualified to help Danny. He had his first appointment with Jesse tomorrow morning. Hopefully he would be able to get through to Danny.

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	6. Chapter 6

_A/N: I know I'm being repetitive when I say thank you, but I really mean it. _

_I don't own anything related to Hawaii Five-O or CBS. No copyright infringement is intended._

_I hope I did this chapter justice._

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Steve hurried back with the ice pack, not liking how pinched Danny's face was. It was clear that his head was really pounding. Steve could only hope that the ice and pain medication did the trick.

Ema followed him in, addressing Danny as soon as she walked into the room. "Danny? It's Ema. I have some pain medication for you and Steve has the ice – we'll see if we can't get your head feeling better, okay?"

Danny just nodded, as she dumped the medication into his IV port. He didn't care what anyone did – he just wanted it to stop hurting. "Don't wanna sleep…need to stay awake…" Danny's voice was unsteady, as he fought the pain.

Ema nodded at Steve as she quietly left the room. She could see that Danny had a breakthrough – she only hoped it was forward progress from here.

"Easy, Danny. It's okay. You're going to be okay." Steve carefully placed the ice pack onto the top of Danny's head, blanketing it with cold.

Danny stiffened for a few seconds before relaxing into the relief. Hopefully the treatment would stop the headache in its tracks. He had been having more headaches lately, but none of the tests had been able to explain just why.

Steve carefully sat next to him on the bed. "Danny? I know this may feel weird, but I want to try something, okay? One of Mary's friends was a massage therapist, and she used to say that if you could get the nerve endings in the scalp to stop misfiring, the pain should lessen. Is it okay if I try to help?"

Steve didn't want to just assume – Danny deserved some control whenever he could get it.

Danny whispered groggily, "Okay" before turning a little more onto his side.

Steve carefully wound his hands tightly into Danny's hair and tugged, holding the pull for a few seconds before letting go. Moving randomly around Danny's head, he kept up the motion until he had covered the majority of the scalp. Mary's friend had said that there was something about relieving the scalp tension that made this work.

After he was finished, he couldn't help but grin as Danny halfheartedly finger combed his hair back into submission. He carefully reached for Danny's hand and settled himself more comfortably next to his friend. Once they were both comfortable, Steve reached for the fleshy part of his hand between his thumb and forefinger. Squeezing that area was supposed to help as well…it was an acupressure point that he had used before while in the SEALs. Sometimes they had to get creative while out on a mission – and sometimes having a headache just wasn't an option. "You doing okay, Danny?"

Danny sighed as the pain started to recede a bit like a wave. It was still very much there, but at least had backed off a fraction. "Trying." He was still in a bit of pain, but more than that, he felt like absolute shit at the way he treated his daughter. There really was no excuse, other than he felt like he was at the bottom of a large canyon, and everyone and everything that he cared about was at the top. The darkness that he felt surrounding him was him looking up, with no discernible way of climbing out that he could tell.

"Listen, Danny. I know you're struggling. I get it – I really do. But I know that while you hate everything that goes along with your therapies, I really think they will help you. It's not that the doctors think you're going to be like this forever. But the sooner you can show them that you're okay at home, the faster they will get you out of here."

Danny shook his head. "But what kind of life will I have outside of here, Steve? I mean, honestly? I can't see anything. I'm just…I just feel so lost, Steve. I mean, the doctors are telling me that my sight could come back…that I just need to be patient. But it's hard not knowing for sure. I almost wish they would just tell me that this is permanent. I may hate it, but at least I could try to move on. I'm worried that Rachel isn't going to trust me with Grace…hell, right now, I don't even trust myself with my own daughter. What kind of father does that make me? Huh?"

"The best kind." Grace's voice was quiet as she stood inside the doorway.

"Grace?" Danny's voice caught as he turned towards the sound of her voice.

Steve smiled to Rachel as she showed Steve the small overnight bag she had packed, knowing how much Danny and Grace needed each other tonight, before pulling the door shut behind her daughter, leaving her in Steve and Danny's care.

"Monkey? Are you there." Danny was terrified that it had all been a dream.

Steve realized that Danny couldn't see Grace nodding, so he whispered, "She's right there, Danny. She's just a little quiet right now."

"Baby? I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to shut you out. I…" He couldn't say anything more; he was sobbing and couldn't stop. Steve grasped both of his hands and squeezed, trying to ground him if he could.

"Ssshhh, Danny. Ssshhh…just breathe. It's okay. It's going to be okay." All he could do was wait until Danny started catch his breath. Once he had started to calm down, Steve motioned for Grace to come closer.

Danny kept talking, as if Steve hadn't said a word. "I know that it's okay to feel scared and frustrated and even angry – everyone keeps telling me that. But shutting people out is not the way to move forward from this. All I succeeded in doing was hurting the people I love the most…Grace, especially you. I'm so sorry, baby girl. I'm so, so sorry."

Steve could hear him start to choke up again so he interrupted him as he pulled Grace up onto his lap. "Danny, don't go there, okay? We all knew that you were doing the best that you could. No one expects you to do more than that. And I'll admit that _I've_ been frustrated, but it's only because I feel so damned helpless. I hate that I can't fix this for you. And it kills me to think that there might have been something I could have done on the plane to prevent this…or maybe gotten you help sooner. Or maybe I could have…"

"Steve, don't. Please don't. I'm a mess right now, and I honestly don't think I could take it if I knew you were blaming yourself. It's just all so overwhelming, and I really can't do this any more. I just feel like I'm hanging on the edge, knowing that I'm going to fall at any moment."

Steve flashed a half smile as he set Grace on the edge of the bed. "Danny, give yourself a break, okay? Things are really emotional right now for everyone. Just listen to what Shari has to say, so that you can get out of here and you can get back home. Maybe being in more familiar surroundings might help you feel safer. Just promise me that you'll take things one at a time, and that you'll try to hang in there, okay?"

Danny nodded. "I'll try, Steve. It's all I can do."

Steve squeezed his shoulder in support. He knew how hard this was on Danny – but he also knew how much better Danny would be if he could just get out of here and back into a more comforting environment.

Danny reached out one hand blindly. "Grace? Monkey? Are you there?"

Grace quietly reached out and grabbed Danny's thumb, sighing as he latched on tight.

"Aww, babe, come here. Please?" Danny pleaded for his daughter to curl up next to him, and nearly wept when she did.

"Grace, I'm so sorry, baby girl. I am so very sorry. I wasn't very nice to anyone yesterday, and I hurt your feelings. I didn't know you were outside my door, but that's no excuse. I shouldn't have pushed you away like that." Danny was almost distraught at the idea of hurting his daughter – it was something he would never forgive himself for.

"Danno?" Grace's voice was tentative. Her dad hadn't scared her, but she was struggling with the emotional aspects of his injury.

"Yeah, baby?" Danny had turned so that (he thought) he was facing her.

"I just…I don't want you to be sad. I know you're mad that you got hurt, but I don't care. I mean, I care. But I don't care if you can see or not – you're my dad, and I love you. I just want you back." She had tears pouring down her face at that point, and all she wanted to do was curl up in her dad's arms.

Danny blinked furiously to stop his own tears from falling, and reached out in front of him. He was relieved to feel Grace scoot the rest of her way into his arms, and relished the feel of her holding onto him as tightly as she could.

"I'm sorry, Grace. I'm so sorry. I never meant to hurt you." Danny kept mumbling the same apologies over and over, and Steve wasn't sure whether it was to make sure that Grace heard them, or that Danny eventually did.

"Danno…" Grace just snuggled more closely against his chest and closed her eyes. This felt like her dad again…warm, secure…alive.

Vaguely, he felt a wad of tissues being tucked into his hand, and he took them appreciatively, knowing that he was a mess. As Grace cried against his chest, Danny had a brief thought that her tears were filling in the cracks of his heart, like putty. While their joint breakdown wasn't doing his headache any favors, he knew that it was a long time in coming.

After a few minutes of Grace shuddering and trembling against him, Danny felt her relax. He wasn't sure what was happening, so he quietly whispered, "Grace?"

His answer came from above his shoulder, and it was all he could do to not flinch. "She's asleep, Danny. Sound asleep. Are you good like that, or do you want me to scoot her over a little more so that you can sit up?"

Danny shook his head carefully. "She's good. My head's pounding pretty hard right now – I think that lying down is a better option for the time being."

"Okay. Do you need anything? I'm not going anywhere – I'm just going to get caught up on a little work." Danny could hear the zipper as Steve opened his laptop bag.

Danny shut his eyes against the pain in his head and sighed. "Maybe the ice pack again?" He knew that he couldn't have any more pain medication, but what he had taken earlier hadn't done very much to relieve the stabbing feeling in his head.

This time, as Steve placed the ice bag on Danny's head, he adjusted it so that it was more along the back of his neck – hopefully that placement would help more than the other had. It was clear by the pinched look on his face that Danny was still in a considerable amount of pain.

"Just rest, Danny. Grace is right beside you. Rachel brought her a bag, so she can stay all night if you want. I cleared it with Dr. Parks. She's peacefully sleeping, and looks extremely comfortable where she is. I really think it's the best medicine for both of you." Steve lightly squeezed Danny's arm before moving to the small window seat. He hoped that Danny would be able to rest a little, knowing his daughter was right where they both needed her to be.

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The next morning found Danny still fairly miserable. While his headache had dialed back a few notches on the pain scale, it was still much higher than was comfortable – even with pain medication on board.

Steve was worried, and was getting frustrated with the '_Nothing is showing on the scans, and we're just not sure why he's experiencing headaches'_ answer that they all kept getting. He had dozed, but had kept a vigil over Danny and Grace, not wanting either of them to wake and need something.

Grace was more rested than she had been for a few days – she had slept all night curled next to Danny. She really thought that she would have had to go home last night, so was thrilled to have woken up with her dad by her side.

Kono and Chin had stopped by and had taken Grace down to the cafeteria for breakfast, knowing that Danny had a therapy session scheduled with Shari in a few minutes.

A soft knock on the door interrupted Steve's thoughts, and he walked over to answer the door. He was greeted by Shari's perky smile.

"Hey there. Is Danny ready?" It was evident that Shari loved a challenge by the way she almost dared Danny to bail on her again. But to her surprise, it was a much different patient sitting almost defeated on the edge of the bed.

"I guess I'm ready, Shari."

Shari didn't push it. She knew that Danny would talk when he was ready, but something had happened to him in the last day. Something had knocked him on his ass. And by the slightly guilty look on his protective friend's face, she figured he had something to do with it.

Whatever worked, right? She waited as Danny struggled to find his bearings, but was pleased to see that he shrugged off all attempts of anyone to help him.

Slowly, Danny stood up and counted his steps to the door, stunning both Shari and Steve. He turned around and reached out, seeking any part of Steve he could reach, making sure his friend was nearby. "Steve? If you don't have any plans for a bit, do you want to walk with me to therapy?"

Steve grinned at Shari, before lightly taking Danny's hand and resting it on his forearm. "Yeah, Danny. I'll walk with you."

On the way down the hall, Shari tried to draw Danny out, but he really didn't engage too much. He really wasn't feeling that great, and it took all of his effort to just make his way down the hall. He wasn't sure how well he was going to manage his session with Shari, along with his meeting with Jesse – but he figured he'd find a way somehow.

Shari kept things light, knowing that Danny wasn't feeling that great. She decided to focus today's session on Danny's clothing, and teaching him a system so that he could tell his clothes apart. It would take someone helping him set it up once he got home, but she was teaching him to identify certain tactile markers on his hangers, which, after he felt them, would tell him what color the clothes were. The inside tag on the article of clothing had a corresponding tactile marker, so that he would feel much more independent in this particular daily living skill.

The therapy center at Tripler had a mock-up of an apartment built in, so that Danny would have experience navigating his own home once he was released. He would practice skills that would keep him safe in the kitchen, as well was manipulate and use both low-tech and high-tech gadgets that he would be able to obtain to help modify his house. Not every modification worked for every person, so this was a way for Danny to get a feel for what worked for him – all in a safe and structured environment.

When it came time for him to be discharged, Steve, Grace, and the rest of Danny's ohana would also attend a few training sessions. It was important for them to all realize just how much Danny was capable of doing on his own, and just what he might need help with – like setting up his wardrobe for the first couple of times.

As Shari wound down Danny's session, she caught Steve's eye and pointed to her own head. At Steve's nod, she couldn't help but feel for Danny – they had tried various pain medications over the past four days and hadn't yet hit on one that would completely work for him. So on top of trying to memorize a new living regimen, he was dealing with feeling absolutely miserable at the same time.

As they navigated their way back to Danny's room, Shari was pleased at how well he did using the cane. She knew that Danny resented anything that reminded him of his blindness, but she was proud of him for at least being a little more willing to do what he had to do.

While Steve helped Danny get settled into his room, Shari stopped at the nurses station to chart her notes from his session, and to see if there was any progress on the pain front. She didn't see any new medication orders, but also knew that Dr. Parks would be rounding sometime in the next hour or so – hopefully they would figure something out.

She was also recommending that Danny postpone his initial meeting with Jesse – being in so much pain would not be conducive to Danny accepting help, whatsoever.

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Two days later, Danny wasn't much better off than he had been. He adjusted the cool cloth over his eyes and sighed. This was the third headache that he'd had in the past three days, and each one was a little worse than the previous one.

Dr. Parks had run some more tests, but nothing abnormal had showed up. So far, there was no medical explanation for the pain that gripped his head like a vice. And while it was again frustrating to not have the answers that he wanted, at least he hadn't been given answers that he _didn't_ want.

Even with the headache, he couldn't help but smile to himself. Grace was due to visit sometime this afternoon, and he could hardly wait. They had talked every day since his meltdown; and while Danny hadn't fully accepted that he may be permanently blind, he had decided that for the time being, he was going to just try to be the best damned blind person that he could be.

Even feeling miserable, he had thrown himself into his therapy, working harder than he had in a long time. He had finally gotten the hang of using the cane, and had even gone on a couple of walks around the hospital rehabilitation grounds on his own…or as on his own as he could with a Navy SEAL trying to follow clandestinely behind him.

His stealth skills were actually quite good, but he knew Steve. He had figured that there was no way Steve or the cousins were going to let him out of his sight. Truth be told, he really didn't mind one bit. He liked knowing that someone was looking out for him, even if he couldn't look out for himself just yet.

Today's headache frustrated him beyond belief. He had been looking forward to enjoying Grace's visit, but the pain in his head was so debilitating that he couldn't really do much more than lie on his bed in the dark. Although it really didn't matter whether it was dark, he just liked the idea of the room being dark. It suited his mood just then.

The only medication that they had found strong enough to help with the pain made him extremely tired and somewhat disconnected. It was great for when he just wanted to sleep, but he didn't want to take anything knowing that Grace was coming. He really wanted to be awake when she got there.

He slowly and gingerly turned onto his side, hoping the change in position would ease the pressure in his head. He vaguely heard the door open, but seeing as how any movement made his head hurt worse, he figured that whoever it was would make themself known sooner or later. He wasn't about to move if he didn't have to.

"Hey Danny. Hurting again?" Steve only had to look at his pale face to know that he was in the middle of another major headache.

"Yeah," he whispered. "It hurts to even move."

He felt the edge of the bed depress as Steve sat next to him. His friend's strong hands gently began to knead the muscles in his shoulders and neck. Steve had tried this the first time he had a headache, and while it didn't completely help, it didn't hurt any worse when he was finished. And Steve was not one to sit around powerless. If he could help in any way, then he was going to do what he could.

"How much longer, Steve?" Danny's voice was soft in the quiet room.

Steve knew exactly what he was asking. "She should be here in about forty minutes." He could see Danny biting his lip, so he backed off on the pressure somewhat.

Leaning closer, he whispered, "I'm going to grab some ice. I'll be right back, okay?" He quietly left the room and headed to the kitchenette for some ice. He had brought a soft ice bag with him, hoping that the cold would help ease the pain in Danny's head. Once he had filled the pack with crushed ice and a little water, he grabbed a towel from the cart and re-entered her room.

Danny flinched almost imperceptibly as he sat back on the edge of the bed.

"I've got the ice pack. Do you want to see if it'll help?" As soon as Steve saw him start to turn onto his back, he lightly held onto his shoulder, not wanting him to go too fast. Carefully, he removed the cool cloth from Danny's forehead and replaced it with the slush-filled bag.

He sighed as the cold blanketed his head. Even if it only helped for a short time, it was the best feeling he'd had in a while. He took a deep breath and tried to will the pain in his head away, with no luck.

Steve could see the frustrated look on Danny's face and knew that he was about to have an argument on his hands. "Danny, you need to take something for the pain. I know you wanted to be awake when Grace gets here, but you can't keep doing this."

Nothing could have prepared him for the defeated sigh that slipped through Danny's lips. "I know, Steve. I just hate how it makes me feel. But my head…it really hurts." Danny was restless, trying to get away from the pain, which only served to amplify the pounding along his temple.

Steve quickly pushed the call button for Danny's nurse, but when he didn't get the instant results he was looking for, he ran to the desk and found her. "He's got another headache…can he have something for the pain? He's restless and uncomfortable, which is just making things worse…"

As soon as the nurse nodded, Steve turned and ran back into Danny's room, where he found him curled on his side with a pillow clutched to his head. He hurried to make sure that the garbage can was nearby. Out of the three headaches this week, the first headache he had had was bad, but not excruciating. The second one had practically knocked him flat. All he could do with that much pain was throw up. That was when they had discovered the IV medication. It had helped with the pain, but the side effects were bad enough that he vowed not to take it unless he absolutely had to. This latest headache had turned into a 'had to' situation in a matter of minutes.

Steve knelt next to Danny's head and tried to reassure him. "Hang in there, buddy. The nurse is on her way, okay? Just try to breathe, nice and slow."

It took another couple of minutes for the nurse to come in with the medication, and still another couple of minutes for the medication to start working. Those few minutes were way too long for Steve's comfort. He had a weak spot when it came to people that he cared about being in pain…he hated not being able to do anything about it.

Finally, he could see Danny start to relax his grip on the pillow. He helped him get situated so that he was more comfortable. Now that the medication was doing its job, Danny's eyes were already starting to droop, so Steve moved so that he was seated in the chair next to the bed. He wanted to make sure that he was okay, but still keep an eye out for Grace's return.

Blowing out a frustrated breath, he rested his elbows on his knees and pressed the heels of his hands into his eyes. There was nothing about this situation that was going right today. He knew that Danny wanted nothing more than to be able to enjoy Grace's visit, and now, if history was any indication, he was going to be out for a few hours, minimum. He swore softly to himself and sat back in the chair.

Glancing once more at Danny, he was glad to see that he was finally asleep. Stretching his legs out in front of him, he closed his eyes, his forearm over them to block out the rest of the world. It wasn't too long before he was snoring lightly, his foot propped on the railing of the bed.

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	7. Chapter 7

_A/N: I ran "Pat's Run" today, which is a 4.2 mile run in honor of Pat Tillman. I found it very comforting to be a part of that, especially after last night's episode. So while I'm in an Advil-induced haze trying to ignore the parts of my that are in some pain, I figured I'd post the next chapter. I hope you enjoy!_

_I don't own anything related to Hawaii Five-0 or CBS. No copyright infringement is intended._

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Close to 45 minutes later, Kono opened the door and poked her head in. She smiled at the sight in front of her. Danny was sound asleep in his bed, while Steve was seated in a chair with his head thrown back, his mouth wide open, and was snoring softly. As funny as the picture was to her, she knew that Steve could not be comfortable. She approached quietly, not wanting her boss to jerk suddenly and either hurt himself or anyone near him, if he came up swinging in SEAL-mode.

"Steve," she whispered. "Steve, wake up."

Steve lifted his head in confusion. Glancing at Danny, he saw that he was still asleep. Someone had been talking to him, and he looked around slowly, wincing at the kink in his neck. Finally, his eyes landed on Kono, as well as Chin and Grace, who had just come into the room. Steve nodded in recognition as he gingerly untangled himself from his sleeping position.

"Hey you guys." Steve rubbed his hands over his eyes a few times and tried to wake up. "How long have you been here?"

Chin quietly set Grace's backpack down in the corner of the room and turned towards his friend. "We just got here a couple of minutes ago. How is he doing?" The concern was evident in his voice.

Steve tried to smile reassuringly at Grace, but Chin and Kono saw right through it. "He's had a rough day, but that's all going to change now that you're here." Steve's focus was on Danny's daughter as he said that, and her answering smile lit up the room.

He turned back to the cousins. "He's been having some bad headaches, but Dr. Parks can't really figure out what's causing them. He's run some more tests, but nothing conclusive has turned up."

Steve nodded towards the bed. "He tried to hold out, but the pain got bad enough that he had to take some pretty heavy medication, which knocked him out."

He turned back to his niece and frowned sympathetically. "He really wanted to be awake when you got here, Grace, but he ended up falling asleep."

Grace just shrugged her shoulder. "That's okay. I'm just glad I get to see him. I brought a book to read until he's awake." She quietly moved to the window seat and grabbed her backpack, making sure she could keep a close eye on her dad as he slept.

Steve was worried, but was trying not to show it. He didn't like the idea of Danny hurting, first and foremost, but to not have a reason? That just wasn't good. He blinked a few times to regain focus as he continued the update for the cousins.

"He doesn't need the IV medication every time, but there's no real pattern with the pain, either. It's there, or it's not. He's frustrated, but he's trying to be strong. Sometimes an ice pack helps a little. Once in a while, it makes it worse, so who knows." Steve thought that the explanation was woefully inadequate, but there really wasn't much else to share.

Kono hugged Steve appreciatively. "Thanks for being here for him. Are you taking care of yourself, too?"

Steve nodded. "I'll be doing a lot better once he's out of here and once they can get his pain under control. I hate that this feels like a setback for him, but he really _has_ had a few improvements here and there. He's starting to work hard on his therapy so that he can get back home with his daughter. Right now, that's his only goal."

Steve swallowed hard as he thought about what obstacles Danny still had. After a pause, he breathed out slowly, "No matter how long it takes, we'll just have to make sure that _that_ particular goal happens for him."

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Danny took a deep breath and tried to figure out what was holding his arm down. Stretching out his fingers experimentally, he lightly brushed up against a small soft limb and smiled to himself. _Grace was here._ He had no way of knowing, but sometime in the past hour, his daughter had carefully climbed onto his bed and tucked herself against his side and fallen asleep.

He carefully inched his way down her arm linked his fingers through hers, tracing the outside of her thumb with his until he felt her stir. By the time Grace had fully awakened, his relief to have her here again with him was visibly evident in the couple of tears snaking their way down into his hair. He felt Grace shift so that she was resting almost on top of his chest.

He could feel her soft breath against his neck, and felt her dainty fingers brushing the moisture from the corners of his eyes. "I love you, Danno."

Danny smiled and whispered his own responding words of affirmation, vowing to make sure that his daughter never had a reason to doubt his love for her. In his mind, he had come close to ruining the best relationship he had ever had, not realizing that Grace didn't see it that way. Once Steve had explained why Danny was struggling the way he was, she was much calmer about the whole situation. It was Danny who was having a hard time letting go of the guilt, not understanding that Grace was fine.

Using his daughter's shirt as a guide, his fingers followed the material until he could touch her face. He lightly traced his thumb over her cheeks, smiling at her giggle. Continuing his path, he felt her eyelashes flutter against his finger as she closed her eyes to his touch. Feeling the quiver underneath his fingertips, he was instantly transported back to when she was a little girl.

He and Grace had spent hours delighting in the simple joys of butterfly and Eskimo kisses, and no matter how many times he tried to quit, her jubilant "…'gain, Danno!" would always spur him to continue. There had been times where she could spend an hour just giggling and laughing at the uncomplicated happiness of time spent together.

As he stopped his mapping, he couldn't help but smile at her whispered, "…'gain, Danno", and he just pulled her close, sighing as she wrapped her arms around his middle.

"I missed you, Grace. So much." His voice was hoarse with unshed tears.

She stretched up to lightly kiss his stubbled cheek. "I missed you too, Danno. How is your head? Does it hurt a lot right now?"

Danny shook his head slowly, completely honest. "It's okay right now. It comes and goes." He turned his head towards the sound of her voice, desperately needing to be closer to her.

Grace rested her head back against her dad's chest and took a deep breath. She wanted to believe him, but his face didn't look like he was telling the truth. He had dark lines under his eyes, and his face looked kind of sharp – like he had gotten skinnier and some of the softness was gone.

She looked to where Steve was watching them with a fond smile, and felt just a tiny bit more reassured. If Steve didn't have 'panic face' (Danny had taught her the fine art of reading Steve's expressions, in case she ever needed to translate body language) – then maybe things would be okay.

Danny sighed, and knew that he should get up pretty soon. He was supposed to be meeting with Jesse today, and Shari had asked Steve if he would sit in on the session. Danny didn't mind at all – he and Steve had talked about him possibly staying with Steve for a few days once he was released, just until he had his bearings.

He was progressing nicely in the hopes of getting him more independent, but Danny admitted that it just felt better knowing that he had someone around if he needed anything – at least at first.

Truth be told, he was a bit nervous about the session. All Shari kept telling him was that Jesse was someone who would understand just where Danny was coming from, whatever that meant. He just wanted to get it over with, whatever the outcome.

"Hey, Monkey. I need to get up and get dressed. Steve and I have a meeting with a guy named Jesse in a little while." He felt her shift until she was standing off to the side of the bed.

"Are you okay, Danno?" Grace was trying to be brave, but once in a while, the gravity of what was happening to her dad poked at her until she flinched.

Danny nodded. "Yeah, babe. You met Shari, right? Well, she said that Jesse would have a lot of good advice for me, so she just wanted me to talk to him for a bit." That was as simple of an explanation as he could give his daughter – he hoped it was enough.

Kono stepped up. "I was thinking that I need some beach time this morning – are you up for joining me, Grace? We can bring some lunch back for your dad, Uncle Steve and Chin, if you want?"

Grace sounded excited. "Oooh…can we go to Rainbow? Their Loco Moco is the best!"

Danny groaned. He'd expanded his palate quite a bit since coming to Hawaii, but that abomination never appealed to him. "Monkey, really?"

Steve chuckled. "That sounds good, Grace. How about you bring me back one, too?"

Chin couldn't contain his grin at the expression on Danny's face. "Brah – I'm guessing none for you? What sounds good?"

Danny shook his head. Truthfully, nothing sounded good. He knew that he had lost weight, but he never wanted to eat when he had a headache. At least for now, his head wasn't pounding, so he thought for moment before replying, "Chili sounds okay."

Chin clasped Danny's shoulder. "You're right – that does sound good. So two Loco Moco's, two Chili's, and Kono can get whatever she wants."

Kono laughed as she reached for Grace's hand. "Yeah, well – I've got a Rainbow expert with me – I'm sure she'll help me pick out something good."

Grace laughed as she practically dove onto Danny for a hug – he had his arms out, as if he was fully anticipating her pounce, and wouldn't have expected anything less.

Chin told Steve that he would stay in Danny's room and get caught up on some paperwork while they were at Danny's session. Then, once everyone was back, Chin would offer to give Steve a break if he wanted one. He knew that Steve had a bag with his running clothes in his truck – he might see if he could get him outside for an hour or so to clear his head. Most likely, Danny would crash after his appointment – which would be the perfect time for Steve to actually take care of himself for a change.

Danny listened for the sounds that would tell him when Kono and Grace had left the room. When he thought he had it figured out, he reached for the white cane that was folded on the small table next to his bed.

Carefully, he swung his feet to the side and sat on the edge of the bed, willing the dizziness to subside. It always seemed to be worse when he sat up from a lying position. Once he thought he had his feet underneath him, he stood and unfolded the cane.

Sweeping it in a side to side motion as he had been taught, he got his bearings. He could tell by the resistance he encountered that if he turned right and walked nine steps, he should be at the bathroom doorway.

He had no way of knowing that Chin and Steve were standing there grinning like fools, but this was the first time since all of this started where Danny had appeared to at least be willing to try. They weren't sure that he had accepted it yet – but he was at least attempting to learn what he could so that he could get out of here.

Not long after he had shut the bathroom door to get ready, there was a light knock on the door before Shari popped into the room. She could hear the sounds of Danny with the sink running, which sort of surprised her, to be honest. She often had to drag him to his appointments – it was a bit of a change to have him getting ready on his own.

"Steve?" She figured it would be easier for him to fill in the gaps.

"You know that expression, 'Don't poke the bear?' – well, let's just say I poked at Danny yesterday until he finally blew up a little bit. It was rough, to say the least, but he got out a little of the anger that he'd been dealing with. I hope it helped, but who knows. His daughter was able to stay the night last night, which probably was the best medicine for both of them. Kono took her for some girl time this morning knowing that Danny was going to meet with Jesse."

Shari was impressed – she was sure that whatever Steve had done was not a sanctioned therapy technique, but it was clear that they all had Danny's best interest at heart. Sometimes, having family nearby was more effective than any therapy she could offer him. "I don't think that the meeting with Jesse will take all morning – but I do really want Danny to meet with him."

During Shari's conversation with Steve, Danny had finished in the bathroom and was on his way back to his bed. Shari only had to give him one minor correction, reminding him to check both sides of where he was planning to sit, as he nearly slid off the end of the bed because he was too close to the edge, having only checked to his left.

She took a few moments to fill the men in on the plan for the morning. "So Danny. We're going to meet with Jesse in one of the meeting rooms. This isn't therapy like you've had before…this is more of a chance for you to listen to what he has to say, and ask him questions if you have any. Does that sound okay?"

Danny nodded. He really just wanted to get this show on the road. He doubted that there was anything that Jesse would tell him that would make a difference, but he was willing to at least try.

The three made their way down the hallway and through the maze of offices until they came to a small meeting room overlooking the courtyard. Steve could see a young man, sitting ramrod straight in one of the chairs. Steve could immediately tell that he was military by the way he stood when he heard people come into the room.

"Hi Jesse." Shari reached forward and shook his hand, waiting to see if Steve picked up on just why she wanted Danny to meet Jesse. After a few moments of intense staring, she saw the recognition in Steve's eyes, and he turned to her with an impressed look on his face.

"Danny, off to your right and forward about two feet is Jesse. Jesse, if you turn a little to your left and if both of you keep your arms at belt level, you should be able to shake hands."

Danny looked confused as he tried to adjust his position to match Shari's cues. He was clearly at a disadvantage here, but held his hand out and hoped for the best.

There was a bit of fumbling before he felt a strong grip squeeze his hand, and he returned the greeting. "Hey there…I'm Danny. Williams."

As the man let go of his hand, he heard, "Jesse. Guerra. Why don't you sit down, okay? We can get started."

Danny nodded and used his cane to figure out his landmarks, wondering why he heard the same tapping sound coming from his right. He let Steve guide him so that he was sitting comfortably at the table before turning to where he smelled Shari's perfume. "Okay. Not to be rude or anything like that. But would someone mind telling me what is going on? I feel like I'm missing something pretty big here right now."

Jesse chuckled before letting Danny in on the reason for the meeting. "Obviously, Shari didn't tell you much about our meeting. She did fill me in on the basics of your situation, though. I understand you're newly blinded, but there is a possibility of recovering your sight, correct?"

Danny nodded. "That's about it."

"Well, Danny. I am a former Army Ranger who was injured by a roadside bomb. I took shrapnel to the face and to my eyes, and am permanently blind. So believe me when I say I get where you are coming from, and am not making light of your situation at all. I'm still active duty, and run some small group sessions with people who are coming to grips with their injury – sort of a transition from hospital to home, if you will – I feel like I have a different perspective, so to speak."

Danny was stunned. He really thought that this meeting would just be with a guy full of platitudes, but it turns out that he did understand where Danny was coming from. "Wow…I just…I don't know what to say."

Steve snorted to himself. "That's a first."

Danny may not have been able to see Steve, but he knew that Steve would definitely see him flipping him off. "Steven, play nice. Jesse, this is Lieutenant Commander Steve McGarrett, Navy SEAL reservist and head of the Governor's Task Force - my best friend and partner slash boss. Steve, that's Jesse. I'm sorry, Jesse – I don't know the entire alphabet that goes after your name."

Jesse laughed, seeing Danny's sarcasm as a breath of fresh air. "Jesse Guerra. Staff Sergeant, 75th Ranger Regiment."

Danny couldn't help himself. "E-I-E-I-O."

Shari was just beaming. This was the Danny that she had hoped to meet. This was the Danny that she hoped to send home soon. Was he miraculously cured now that he met Jesse? No, but she knew that Jesse would not put up with any of Danny's bullshit, having lived through and conquered much more in terms of injury, and would hopefully be the one to set Danny straight on a few things.

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	8. Chapter 8

_A/N: It's time to get Danny home, don't you think? _

_I don't own anything related to CBS or Hawaii Five-0. No copyright infringement is intended._

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Jesse turned to where Danny was seated and began asking him questions about his injury, and what he had accomplished so far in his recovery. Steve was actually surprised that Danny admitted to his earlier jackass behavior, but Jesse understood it.

He told Danny of stories of pushing his wife away – practically demanding that she leave him for someone who wasn't broken. He laughed as he said that his wife had basically told him off, which was one of the catalysts he needed in order to truly start his recovery.

Danny asked him how he had adjusted to using the cane, as it was still the most disorienting feeling trying to walk without being able to see. He constantly felt as if he was off balance.

He grinned at Jesse's response. "I walked around, and when I knocked into things, I moved. It took a while – and a lot of bruises – before I finally got the hang of it."

Jesse was quiet for a moment. "Danny, I can joke about it now, but it wasn't easy. Not by a long shot. I also had to deal with some partial paralysis that did resolve, but that just compounded my anger issues. But there came a point – and I'm not sure if you're there yet or not – where I just decided that I didn't want to be that person who wasted everything that was ever given to me. I didn't want to throw away how hard I'd worked my entire life. So it took one painful step at a time, but eventually, I was able to physically heal enough to get out of the hospital. The mental part of things came later, but if I can offer you any advice, it would be to absolutely _not_ push the people who care about you away. Let them help you, however they can."

Danny shook his head. "I wish it were that easy, Jesse. I really do."

Jesse understood – but knew that he had to push Danny just a little bit more. "I get it, Danny. I do. But let me ask you something. If it were Steve on the other end of things, would you want to help him? Or would you just let him push you away and not care any longer?"

Danny bristled. "Of course not! That's not the kind of man I am. If my friends need help, I'm there for them, no questions asked."

Jesse was quiet for a moment. "Isn't that what your friends are doing for you? They're not asking for anything in return…you just need to let them in."

Danny turned to where he thought Steve was. His eyes were bright. "Steve? I…I mean…"

Steve cut him off with a gentle hand on his arm. "It's okay, Danny. I promise you, it is. Being a SEAL, I understand a little about where you were coming from - I've seen men have everything taken away from them in an instant – and trust me, I know how hard it is to accept help."

Danny snorted in response to that. He wanted to say, _no shit_, but figured it wasn't the time or place.

Steve just grinned. "Yeah, yeah…my point is…we all want to help, however we can. We know that you would do the same for us if we were in your situation. So just try, okay? That's all we are asking."

After Danny and Jesse had time to chat for a while, Jesse had to end things in order to get to his next appointment. "Listen Danny. I have to go, but I'm going to leave Steve my card with my number on it. I want you to use it…for anything. If you want to scream obscenities loud enough to peel the paint off of the walls, I might be convinced to join you. If you have a question, call. If your daughter has questions, she can call. I told Shari that when you get ready to get out of here, I would go to your house and do a walk through – give her some suggestions of potential trouble spots."

Danny nodded. "That sounds good…I'll be staying with Steve for a little while, but I appreciate the assist."

Jesse stood and got his bearings. "If you only remember one thing, Danny, I hope you remember that blindness doesn't define you. It's something you hopefully only temporarily are – not something that determines your worth. I'm married. I had two kids after my accident. I've surfed solo off of Diamond Head. I went back to school and got my Master's Degree. What I'm saying is that there is nothing that you can't do, with or without your sight. Just don't let it hold you back – you're better than that. You _deserve_ better than that. You only have one life – you can either waste it, or you can live it. The choice is yours."

Jesse clapped him on the back as he turned to leave, and Danny was too deep in thought to even register that he had left. Jesse had certainly given him quite a bit to chew on. Danny knew that he had been wasting his time here, and now, he had to figure out a way to get the most out of his therapies so that he could get back home to Grace.

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All told, Danny spent another week in the hospital while they figured out a regimen of medications that made the headaches tolerable. While they hadn't completely subsided, Danny was somewhat okay with tolerable. He had been through so much poking and prodding that he was beginning to feel like a lab rat. So far, they could only tell him what the headaches _weren't_…they just had no idea what they were. So the plan for now was to get Danny to Steve's house to start, and that was something that suited him just fine.

Dr. Parks was pleased enough with his progress that he agreed to discharge him, provided he followed up on an outpatient basis. For the time being, Steve would drive him back to the hospital three days a week for therapy, and would bring him to any appointments that he had. At this point, Danny would have agreed to sleep in a tent in the parking lot if it would have meant him getting to leave.

Before Danny was released, Shari had arranged a meeting with Steve and Grace in the PT room. Chin and Kono were at the office, following up on a case that they had given HPD. Shari wanted Steve and Grace to get a sense of what it was like for Danny – they both had been extremely supportive of him, but she thought that if they could put themselves in Danny's shoes, then perhaps they would understand even further when he had moments of frustration.

Danny was seated on one of the large low tables, just listening to the sounds surrounding him. The one that he immediately picked up on was Grace's giggle as Shari tied the blindfold over her eyes. "Now Grace. This is kind of what it's like for your dad, but his eyes aren't closed – so imagine it being dark, but having your eyes open."

She helped Grace stand up and then handed her a small cane. They didn't have a white folding cane short enough for Grace, so they just used a regular aluminum one instead. "Now, what I want you to do is try to get from here to your dad without any major disasters. Okay?"

Shari had only put a few obstacles in her path, and none of them would hurt Grace should she fall. Shari also had no intention of letting her wander off on her own – she would shadow her and catch her just in case she stumbled and potentially hurt herself.

Grace nodded, ready to see what this felt like. She tilted her head, trying to get her bearings. Gingerly, she stepped forward, and immediately bumped into a small bolster with her cane. She tentatively moved around it and inched her way ahead. She was feeling fairly confident until she suddenly was met with resistance on all three sides. Abruptly, she stopped. Her brain knew that there was possible danger ahead, and no matter how much she tried to move around it, she couldn't figure out how to move out of the path.

She started to get a little anxious, feeling more and more lopsided as she tried to step her way around the cushions. "Danno?"

He could immediately tell that she was a bit afraid, so he called out to her. "I'm right here, Monkey."

She turned her head towards his voice. "I'm stuck, Danno. I know it's kind of a game, but I can't get to you. Where are you?"

Danny could hear the nerves and tried to reassure her. "It's okay, baby girl. Why doesn't Shari take the blindfold off of you and then you can come and find me."

Grace felt Shari's hands at the back of her head, and waited until the cloth was off before looking down at the debris field, surprised to see only one area of cushions surrounding where she was – the rest of the path was relatively clear.

She ran over to where Danny was seated and threw her arms around his neck. "I'm so proud of you, Danno. Even though I knew it was pretend, I got stuck and was scared to move. But you've gotten so much better –you've even gone outside all by yourself. You should feel proud, too."

Danny just blinked, not realizing just how much Grace's words mattered to him. He didn't have a choice in being blind, but hearing his daughter say that she was proud of him was like a balm washing some of the pain away.

Grace's giggle brought him back. "What's so funny, missy?"

Grace grabbed onto Danny's hand. "Shari is putting the blindfold on Uncle Steve. It's his turn now."

Grace watched as Shari added even more obstacles to Steve's path before gently turning him around a couple of times. She wanted to disorient Steve, knowing that in many ways, his SEAL training put him at an advantage when it came to using his senses.

Shari pointed at Grace, and she called out, "We're over here, Uncle Steve. Come and find us."

Steve started out okay, moving the white cane back and forth, feeling his way through the initial pile of obstacles with little problem. But, much like Grace did, he became disoriented and off balanced as he encountered the majority of the obstacles in his way all at once.

He was determined to figure it out, so he called out, "Grace? Where are you, sweetheart?"

At her answer, he was stunned to realize that he had been moving in the complete wrong direction from where he thought she was. He dropped his head and shook it, realizing just how strong his best friend was. He pulled the blindfold off and grinned wryly at the complete and utter disaster that was on the floor of the PT room.

Shari just shrugged her shoulder and winked. She realized that most of Danny's situation would not involve the sheer amount of destruction that she had placed in front of Steve, but wanted him to get at least a sense of what it was like.

Steve walked over and sat down on the other side of Danny. "Danny, man. I have to say – my respect for you is off the charts. I get what you mean when you say that you feel like you're constantly tilted – it's a very weird feeling not being able to use your vision to keep yourself upright. I'm like Grace – I'm really proud of how far you've come." He threw an arm over Danny's shoulder and squeezed, giving him a gentle hug. He couldn't help but smile as Grace did the same on the other side, sandwiching Danny between them.

The rest of the morning passed fairly quickly, as there were a few last minute details to take care of before Danny was officially released. While Danny was having one final CAT scan for the road…his third of his stay at Tripler…Steve, Chin, and Kono spent almost two hours getting all of Danny's belongings packed up and his discharge papers signed.

They finally got all of the therapy equipment loaded into the truck and had arranged to donate most of the bouquets of flowers that he had received to the various nursing units in the hospital. Danny wanted to keep one of the freshest bouquets to give to Rachel, thanking her for allowing him unfettered access to Grace while he was at Tripler.

Shari had agreed to bring Jesse and meet Danny at Steve's house later that afternoon, once Danny officially left the hospital. She wanted to make sure that Danny's environment was not going to be counterproductive to his therapy. She quickly confirmed the directions to Steve's house before guiding Jesse out to her car. Because the exit to the staff parking lot took her on a different route, she was able to arrive a few minutes before Danny.

She smiled as she took in the sight of the well-manicured lawn and the smooth stone pathway leading up to the front door. She noticed that there weren't a lot of stray rocks or debris that might trip Danny up. They had practiced navigating through many types of obstacles, and as long as Danny took his time and didn't rush, he would be okay. It was when Danny tried to do too much too quickly that he ran into trouble.

After a few more minutes investigating, Shari heard a truck pull into the driveway. She watched as Danny opened the door but waited for Steve to come around and help him out of the cab of the truck. Steve held his arm steady, helping him slide down, but allowed him to do most of the work before shutting the door behind him. Shari saw Steve lean down and say something to Danny, but Danny shook his head. Giving in, Steve stepped behind him while he opened the cane and got his bearings.

Shari could see that Steve desperately wanted to help Danny, but he was determined to do it himself. One of the things that Shari had reminded him about was his struggle to ask for, or allow someone else to help him. While she admired his independence, Shari needed her to truly get that asking for help was not a sign of weakness, but rather a sign of knowing your own limitations. He was getting better at it, but Shari wanted to make sure that nothing happened to him while he was still trying to get it into his head.

So it was with some trepidation that Shari watched Danny navigate his way to the front door. He started to get off track at one point but quickly righted himself. To Steve's credit, he didn't hover too much. He stayed within reach in case he started to stumble, but for the most part, he let him do it by himself.

The stairs leading up to the front door proved to be the most troublesome for Danny for some reason. Whether it was because the height of the stairs was different than the ones he had practiced on during therapy, or because there were no landmarks like there were at therapy; Shari wasn't sure.

She did notice some hesitation on Danny's part as he started to climb the first of the four steps, making her wonder just what would happen next. She grinned to herself as she watched Steve. He didn't just jump in and try to lead him…he merely stepped behind and verbally gave him hints that he could follow, waiting until he was on the porch before moving to stand next to him.

It was then that Shari could see that Danny would do just fine at home. No, he was not one hundred percent better, but until he was more comfortable with the rest of his senses taking over for his eyes, he had people around him who would be there, and who would help pick up the slack. And Shari could now see that Danny was reluctantly willing to let himself accept help. That, in and of itself, was the biggest hurdle to his recovery.

Shari was a big advocate of independence…it was what she wanted for all of her patients. But careless independence was worse than total dependence. Carelessness could get someone hurt, while a willingness to accept help could prevent disaster. As tired as Danny had become of her pounding that thought down his throat, Shari knew that she couldn't let up until she was sure that Danny understood and accepted his limitations.

Jesse cleared his throat. "So how's he doing?" He had heard the truck pull up, and knew that Shari was sitting back and observing, making sure there would be no major issues. It was what she had done at his house without him knowing she was there – now, it was Danny's turn.

"He's doing pretty well, so far. Steve's giving him space, but not too much – enough that I think Danny can feel that sense of independence that he needed to feel, but not too much that Danny's going to fail miserably."

She smiled as Steve caught sight of them and waved them in through the now opened door. He leaned down to whisper their arrival to Danny. As Danny turned to greet them, he looked uncharacteristically anxious. Shari had a feeling that she knew what was causing that fear, so she immediately stepped forward and placed her arm on Danny's shoulder.

"Danny, I'm so happy that you're finally out of the hospital. You already look more confident and more relaxed here. I'll just be a couple of minutes and then I'll get out of your hair and let you get settled, okay?" She pulled Danny into a gentle hug and whispered, "Don't worry. I have no intention of changing my mind. You're home for good."

Danny stepped back, his eyes bright with unshed tears. He hadn't realized just how much he needed to hear Shari say that he was home…even if it was at Steve's home. A part of him had been afraid that Shari would rescind her recommendation and would force him to return to the hospital. Now that his fear had been unfounded, he was able to relax and focus on his surroundings.

He used his cane to try to figure out just where he was in the room. Feeling the couch to his right and the dining room chairs to his left, he figured out that the kitchen was diagonally to his left, ahead about ten steps. He retraced those ten steps and once again found the couch. Keeping the cane in front of him, he plotted a route that would take him to the spare bedroom on the first floor.

Steve, Shari and Jesse just sat back and waited for Danny to find his way. He was in no danger of hurting himself, as long as he took his time. They watched as he maneuvered his way down the hallway, pausing every so often to reach out and touch a knick-knack that he remembered was on a table, or a picture frame that was on the wall. He would get a nostalgic look on his face as he tried to remember what he might be seeing, had he still been able to see. He knew that Steve had a couple of pictures of Grace scattered around – he was starting to have an emotional time thinking about not seeing her again.

Steadying himself, he kept on going until he reached the bedroom. Standing in the doorway, he inhaled deeply, enjoying the scent of the tropical flowers just outside the open window. He also could vaguely smell a bit of the ocean spray as it hung in the air, and almost laughed to himself to think back to how much he used to hate that smell when he first came to Hawaii, but now, the smell equaled freedom for him.

While Danny was getting his bearings on the bottom floor of the house, Jesse was going through the kitchen and onto the lanai, pointing out a couple of potential trouble spots for Danny to be aware of.

Steve was torn as to where to go – a part of him wanted to follow Danny to make sure he was safe, but he knew that he had to trust his partner. One of the things he had learned in his own conversation with Shari was that not putting trust in what Danny had accomplished during therapy would be the absolute worst thing that anyone could do for him. It could cause him to retreat back into a shell of himself, which would frustrate everyone around him, including Danny himself.

So he just listened to what Jesse was saying, and tried to figure out ways to make things a little safer for Danny, and waited until he came back into the kitchen before letting out his breath.

Jesse picked up on the sounds of Danny's cane before anyone else did, and quickly made his way to the kitchen. "Hey, Danny. Did you get settled okay?"

Danny nodded. "Yeah – looks like things are set up in the closet and drawers so that I can find them, and everything seems to be in the right spot in the bathroom. It'll take me a little time to figure out the kitchen, but in the meantime, I'll just make Steve do all of the cooking."

Steve chuckled at that. "Or, we could just order in. Whatever you want, Danny." Steve would do whatever Danny wanted or needed – he was just so grateful to have his best friend back.

Jesse and Shari said their goodbyes, and left so that Danny could find his way without an audience. Shari new that Chin and Kono were due to stop by sometime later tonight, and Grace was supposed to come and visit tomorrow – she knew that Danny needed to get some real rest and start to build his strength back up. He was still not resting well with the headaches, but maybe being home would be a more healing environment for him? At any rate, Danny was home now, and had family around him who would look out for him.

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The next couple of weeks had become a routine of doctor's appointments and therapy. Steve was even considering returning to work part time. Danny had progressed with his therapy enough that he felt safe staying at home for short periods of time.

He had gotten to spend some quality time with Grace, which he realized that he sorely needed. They talked about everything and nothing, healing some wounds along the way. Danny couldn't ignore how he had treated Grace, but he vowed to do everything in his power to make sure that she always knew that she was loved, wanted, and treasured.

One morning, Steve left for a quick meeting, promising to be home in a couple of hours. Danny had nothing planned for the morning, but Rachel was going to drop Grace off around lunchtime and they were going to spend some time at the beach. Danny missed the sounds of his daughter playing in the ocean…the repetitive sounds of her laughter soothed his tortured soul.

He was in the midst of putting some clothes away in his room when he heard footsteps coming down the hallway. "Steve? You're home early. Is everything okay?"

When he didn't answer, his senses kicked in and he started to panic. Feeling a pinprick in his arm, he suddenly realized that things were most definitely not right. The last thing he heard before he gave in to the effects of whatever he had just been injected with was the chilling sound of a familiar voice saying, "Hello, Danny."

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	9. Chapter 9

_A/N: I've had a few guest reviews asking if this story was ending...not just yet. There are still quite a few loose ends to tie up. I'm so glad you're enjoying this - I'm having a blast writing it._

_I own nothing related to CBS or Hawaii Five-0. No copyright infringement is intended._

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Steve grinned as Chin poked his head into his office, holding a bag from their favorite take-out place. He waved him in as he finished his phone call. Only one more hour and he'd be off for the rest of the day and the weekend. He was really looking forward to just spending some relaxing time with Danny and Grace. They were starting to settle into a routine that wasn't just centered around appointments and therapy. They were trying to get back to some semblance of a normal life.

Chin set Steve's lunch on his desk before moving to sit on the small leather couch. He stretched out his legs, intending to get comfortable. Kono joined them in Steve's office, making obnoxious faces at her boss, trying to get him off of the phone. Kono was rewarded with a rubber band ball tossed at her head. She laughed and caught it as Steve finally hung up from his phone call.

"Brat. I was just leaving Danny a message. He must be resting or something." Steve rolled up his sleeves before digging into his lunch.

"Did you try his cell phone? Maybe he's outside." Chin and Kono had long since given up teasing Steve about his friendship with Danny. It just didn't seem as funny any more. The two were closer than brothers, and that bond would never be broken…it had just become the norm.

"No. He really hasn't been sleeping that well, so if he's actually resting, I don't want to disturb him. He'll just call me when he wakes up, or I'll just talk to him when I get home. Grace is on her way over probably in the next half-hour, and if he's not awake by then, he will be when she gets there."

Chin nodded slowly. His admiration and respect for Steve had grown tremendously over the last few weeks. He watched as Steve let Danny discover how to live independently, as hard as that was for him. He watched as Steve stood by whenever Danny needed to yell, scream or break things. So far, they were only down two plates and a coffee mug. Not too bad considering Danny's Italian temper.

They quickly finished their lunch in relative silence. They only needed to finish up a little paperwork before they would be free to leave for the weekend. HPD was going to continue to pick up the slack, and so they were officially off for the next three days, not needed back on shift until Tuesday. Denning had Chin, Kono, and Steve taking turns – each covering a few hours every day, but knowing that Grace was spending the weekend with Danny, had given the three of them a few days off.

Steve was really looking forward to some down time with the Williams family. He had gone out and bought a large set of beach toys, hoping to help Grace build the mother of all sand castles. Danny had even mentioned getting out there and helping. Danny was really trying to acclimate himself in small doses – too much, too quick found him dizzy and on his ass more times than he wanted to count.

Knowing that he only had a few minutes before he was due to leave, Steve headed for the bullpen to check a couple of things running on the computer. Once that was done, he would shut things down and enjoy his next three days.

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"Okay, sweetheart. Do you have everything?" Rachel had pulled up in front of Steve's house, happy for her daughter that she could spend the weekend with her dad. Rachel hadn't wished ill of Danny – in fact, she hated that he was going through what he was. Once they had gotten past their animosity, she was able to remember why they were friends in the first place. It had been rough, but they had decided somewhere along the line, for Grace's sake, to put their anger aside and try to get along.

"I think so. Do you think Danno will like listening to the movie I brought?" Grace was a little unsure about bringing her favorite movie, knowing her dad couldn't see it, but she thought that maybe he would like to just sit with her on the couch and hear it. Grace thought she could help him by telling him what was happening on the screen.

"I bet he'll enjoy it, because you thought to bring it. You're pretty good at picking out things that your dad likes. Do you want me to walk you in?" Rachel had dropped her off before, and had no problems with letting her go inside – Steve had always said that the door was open to her.

"Mom…I can do it. I'm a big girl. Besides, I talked to Danno on the phone earlier and he said to go right in." Grace tried not to roll her eyes – she really wanted to just go inside and see her dad.

Rachel smiled, knowing how independent Grace was becoming. "All right, Grace. Have a good weekend. Be good for your dad and Steve. I'll see you Monday night, unless you call sooner. Okay?"

Grace nodded and hopped out of the backseat. She leaned in and kissed her mom through the car window, waving as she approached the front door, and watching as Rachel drove back down the street.

Grace tried the door, smiling when it turned easily. Danno had said that he would leave it open for her and he did. As she went inside, she was a little curious as to why it was so quiet – her dad always seemed to have noise around him, whether he was singing to himself or talking – he was very rarely silent. Maybe he was resting?

She walked quietly to the guest room, but was surprised to see it empty. Her dad's clothes were on the bed, which was weird – he never liked to leave them out and messy. She backed out of the room and made her way back to the living room, where things were undisturbed as well.

She took a quick peek out the lanai door, which was still locked, and didn't see him anywhere, and at that point, was starting to get a nervous feeling in her stomach. Maybe Danno forgot that she was coming? _No, he wouldn't do that._

Something didn't feel right, so she pulled out her cell phone and dialed a familiar number. After two rings, a reassuring voice answered. "Hey, Gracie. What's up, kiddo?"

Grace hoped she wasn't making a big deal out of nothing. "Umm. Uncle Steve? Do you know where Danno is? Mom dropped me off, but he's not here. Did he forget I was coming over?"

Steve immediately motioned for Chin. "What do you mean he's not there? He was there when I left a couple of hours ago, and he definitely knew you were coming over – he was so excited to have you spend the weekend with him."

Grace felt a tiny bit better about that news. "He's not here, Uncle Steve. I looked in the bedroom, the living room, and I didn't go outside, but looked out the glass door – I even peeked in your room. His clothes are on his bed, but he's not here." Now Grace was starting to get worried.

"Grace, babe. I need you to do me a favor. I need you to go outside and wait for me to get there. We're on our way." Steve knew that he needed to get Grace out of the house, but he wasn't sure whether there was any danger outside, either. But he knew something was off – Danny would not just take off like that."

"I know this is going to sound weird, but I want you to go into the garage and wait in the car. Can you do that, Grace?"

Grace nodded, knowing that her uncle was just trying to make sure she was safe. "I'm going there now, Uncle Steve. I don't see anyone outside, either."

Steve wanted to smile at the fact that she had figured out his plan but couldn't. He just needed to know that she was safe. "Good eyes, Gracie. We're almost there, but we'll stay on the line with you until we get there, okay? Is there anything else you can tell me about what the house looked like? Was there a mess anywhere? Any doors opened?"

Grace shook her head. "No – I mean, the front door was unlocked, but not open. There was nothing messy in the house, either. I don't know where Danno is, Uncle Steve." Her voice cracked knowing that Uncle Steve seemed worried. That meant that there was something wrong.

"I know, babe. We'll figure it out, okay? We're pulling up right now. Kono's going to come and get you while Uncle Chin and I search the house. Just hang tight, all right?"

Grace let out a breath. "Just hurry, Uncle Steve. Please?" She heard the squealing of tires as he skidded the truck into the drive, and knew that he was close. She just sat in the back seat and waited for Kono to come and find her, her tiny frame trembling with the stress of everything that was happening.

Steve, Chin, and Kono jumped out of the truck as soon as it was parked. While Kono went to get Grace, Steve and Chin carefully approached the front door. "Steve, I know you know this, but be careful inside. Until we know what's going on, we have to assume it's a crime scene of some sort."

Steve nodded. "I'll be careful, Chin. I know not to touch anything." Not sure where to start first, Steve carefully made his way into the middle of the kitchen. He could see the light blinking on the answering machine and wondered just how many calls had been missed. He literally felt sick as he let himself think that Danny might have heard his phone call, but could not get to the phone because he was hurt…or worse.

Although they all had plenty of enemies because of their jobs, Steve couldn't really think of anyone who had been on the radar lately. There hadn't been any threats lately, and the few that had come through, were nothing to worry about. He had no idea where to begin thinking about who might have taken him, if he had indeed been kidnapped.

They made a quick sweep of the house and found nothing. It was like Grace said – Danny was just gone.

"Damn it, Chin. There's nothing. No trace of him. Nothing looks like it has been disturbed. It's like he just vanished. His wallet and cell phone are still there; the money's still there…he's just gone."

The two men headed outside, after putting in a call to Duke at HPD. They told him that they needed a CSU team out to Steve's as soon as possible, hoping against hope that they would find something. Duke assured them that he was on it, and would personally supervise the evidence collection.

Knowing that they had done all they could, Steve looked for Grace and spotted her, huddled in the back seat of his truck. Kono was trying to comfort her, but wasn't having any luck. He jogged over, and immediately swept the young girl into his arms.

"It's going to be okay, Grace. We're going to figure this out. I promise." He hated that she was shaking in his arms, and he knew that she was terrified about whatever had happened to her dad.

Chin held out his cell phone and pointed to Grace. Understanding what he was indicating, Steve nodded his head. Grace would be better off back with Rachel until they found Danny. "Grace. Uncle Chin is going to call your mom, okay? I know you want to stay here this weekend, but we need to figure out where your dad is. I promise you that as soon as he's back home, you can have your weekend here."

Grace shook her head. "But I want to stay with you, Uncle Steve. What if my dad calls? What if he's hurt? I just want to stay. Please?"

Steve's heart broke. "Aww, babe. I know you want to stay here, and I want that, too. But I have to help your dad if he needs it. I know it's not what you want, but I think, for now, you need to go with your mom. The minute we figure out what's going on, I'll call you myself. I promise you, Gracie – I'll keep you updated every day, okay?"

No, it wasn't what she wanted, but she kind of understood. It didn't mean that she liked it, though. "I guess, Uncle Steve. Will you tell him I love him?"

Steve nodded and placed a kiss against her head. "Of course I will. You know that he loves you too, right?"

Grace nodded. "I know. I love you too, Uncle Steve. Be careful, okay? Just…just bring my dad back as soon as you can." She blinked the tears from her eyes as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

He held her close for a few moments. "I will, Grace. I love you, too. Be brave, all right? We'll figure this out."

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Danny slowly awoke, feeling like his throat was full of cotton, and like someone was jackhammering into his head. What in the hell had happened? He took a deep breath and tried to make sense of his surroundings. All he knew was that he was cold and felt like he had the worst hangover ever, wherever he was.

He gingerly stretched his hands and feet, trying to determine whether or not anything else was hurt. Thankful that nothing felt out of the ordinary, he attempted to sit up. As soon as he was upright he was hit with a wave of dizziness that practically knocked him back over. He had to sit perfectly still for a few moments before his stomach made up its mind as to whether it was going to stay where it belonged. He was able to reach out and make contact with a wall, which helped stabilize him somewhat. He decided to just sit still for a minute or two longer to get his bearings. It really sucked not being able to see where he was.

Once the dizziness had subsided, he tried to turn his body but quickly realized that his ankle was bound with some type of metal, keeping him firmly attached to whatever it was that he was sitting on.

He could hear someone moving away from wherever he was, but could not figure out where it was coming from. He had absolutely no idea what type of building he was in, which limited his ability to think of a way out of this situation. He had no idea even who he was dealing with.

He felt along the wall as far as he could reach in each direction, and never came in contact with anything other than flat, which meant that he was not in a corner of a room, but most likely along a wall.

He ran his hands along the hard surface of where he was sitting, and felt only a thin fabric pad-like covering. There was no bedding that he could feel, so whatever he was chained to was not going to be comfortable for very long, he was certain of that.

Danny stilled as he noticed footsteps slowly approaching. Not knowing whether there was a door on the room he was in, and whether or not he had already been seen, he hurried to lie back down, hoping he could not only buy himself more time to figure out just what was going on, but buy himself more time to settle the nausea that was coursing through his system.

He kept his breathing steady as he suddenly realized that he was no longer alone. Sometime during the last few seconds, someone had come into the room. He could feel someone standing over him, which unnerved him to the core. After a few moments of complete silence, he felt whoever it was finally move away from him.

"After all this time, you're just going to lay there and pretend to sleep? I thought we were friends outside of work, Danny. Friends deserve better than that, don't they?"

Danny opened his eyes at the sheer amount of anger blending into the spoken words, and could not contain his surprise any longer, as he realized just who the voice belonged to.

"Charlie?"

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	10. Chapter 10

_A/N: I promise there is an explanation for everything. There were two things I pictured when starting this story - Danny's blindness, and why Charlie became the antagonist. I appreciate you letting me tell what has been bouncing around in my head, and am so grateful for those who read, reply, favorite, and follow._

_I own nothing related to CBS or Hawaii Five-0. No copyright infringement is intended._

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_"Charlie?"_ Danny could not believe what he was hearing. His friend, who was supposed to be joining them at Steve's for a barbeque before he had gotten hurt, had kidnapped him? But why?

"What's the matter, Danny? Surprised to see me?"

Danny blinked a few times, his thoughts jumbled. "Charlie? I…I don't understand."

Charlie spit out a laugh at the confused look on the detective's face. "Let me try to explain it in a way you might understand. You owe me. And I intend to collect."

Danny could not help but shudder as the venomous words registered in his brain. "Charlie, you're not making any sense. What do I owe you for?" He was trying to keep Charlie talking, and yet he really wanted him to calm down. Danny was at such a disadvantage not being able to see his face, or watch his movements.

Danny flinched as Charlie spoke, not realizing that he had knelt down in front of him. "Don't you get it? From the moment I met you, my life has been one bad thing after another. I met Kono through you, but guess what? Because of you and your job, she met Adam and wants nothing to do with me. Every time I worked a case, I thought I was helping you by trying to get you evidence as quickly as I could. But it was never fast enough, is it? The things that I've seen because of you…" His voice trailed off, lost in an apparent nightmare, as evident by the rapid breathing.

Danny took a few slow deep breaths, trying to see if he could hear anything around him that might tell him where they were. If Charlie hadn't drugged him, he might have a better idea of whether they were even in Honolulu or not. He could hear what he thought was the sound of cars on a highway not too far away. There were no telltale sounds in the house, however.

"So anyway…" Charlie's voice was calm again. "I figured since you had made my life so miserable, I would return the favor. That's what friends do, right? Return favors?"

"Charlie, just listen to me. Whatever is going on, we can fix this, okay? You have been a good friend…" He never got to finish his sentence before he was in Danny's face, yelling at him. He had grabbed him by the front of the shirt, and roughly shoved him so that his entire back slammed into the wall, causing Danny's breath to hitch in pain.

"Don't you get it? I don't want to be one of your friends. You're the _haole _that brings heartache and trouble to everyone you come in contact with, and I don't want any more of that. It's time that you…" His words stopped short with a grunt of pain.

Danny heard him drop to the floor, but couldn't tell what was going on. "Charlie?"

He didn't answer Danny, which really made him worry. He couldn't see, didn't know where he was, wasn't sure just what he had been injected with, and now his kidnapper, who was someone he had hung out with from time to time, appeared to be in pain. This day was getting better and better.

Danny heard Charlie fumbling with a pill bottle as he rose up and stumbled from the room, locking the door behind him, and wondered what he was taking. It appeared to be just another variable to add to his big, confused mix.

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"Anything?" Kono was talking on the phone as Steve came into the kitchen. Chin was typing away on his computer, a yellow notepad full of barely legible handwriting thrown next to him. None of the team had slept at all, instead preferring to work the phones and the internet, connecting with contacts and calling in favors, and trying to figure out just who had Danny. The fact that there had been no demands had all three on edge.

"Let me know if you hear anything." Kono hung up the phone without a word. There was no time for pleasantries. The people she had been talking to were all people that she had worked with in the past. She really didn't care if she said 'please' or 'thank you'—she just wanted Danny back.

For a brief moment, Kono looked her age. In their line of work, it was crucial to know how to hide your emotions, but suddenly, there was nowhere left for them to hide. Her dark hair was askew from its ponytail, presumably from tiredly running her hands through it. Her normal exuberant persona sagged slightly.

But before anyone could notice, her mask was back in place, and Kono was all business. She glanced at the paper next to Chin's computer and crossed out a name. Choosing a different person from the list, she dialed the number from the paper and walked into the living room.

Steve grabbed his phone and his coffee and sat down next to where Chin was working. "Any luck?" He tried to keep the fear out of his voice, but Chin knew him better than most.

Chin shook his head and stretched his neck, the numerous hours spent sitting at the table starting to make his back stiff. "Whoever this is, it doesn't look like anyone on our list."

Steve tried to squelch the cold feeling in his stomach. "I'm starting to think you might be right. If it was an enemy, we'd have heard something by now…some sort of demands or…" He couldn't finish what he started to say. The 'or' had way too many implications attached to it.

Chin nodded somberly. "So what do we do now?"

Steve had to squeeze his eyes tight for a moment before blinking rapidly and blowing out a breath. "We hope for a break…or a miracle."

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Danny couldn't get comfortable. He could feel himself teetering on the edge of a headache, no thanks to the stress and his body's abrupt meeting with the wall, and was trying not to give in to the panic that now seemed to be mocking him with every beat of his heart. He was trying to find a position that would ease the pressure brewing behind his eyes, but wasn't having much luck.

He hadn't heard from Charlie since he left the room, so he had no idea what was going on with him. He thought back over the words that were spat at him and couldn't figure out what had made him act like this. Okay, maybe he had a right to be angry with him, but the Charlie that Danny thought he knew would have at least tried to talk to him, not kidnap him to get even. There had to be more going on that what he could see…figuratively, that was.

He stretched out on the makeshift bed and tried to relax using the meditative techniques that Shari had been working on with him. Danny wasn't thrilled about what he had initially called 'granola therapy', but he had made it known that he didn't want to have to rely on the drugs unless he absolutely couldn't take the pain any longer, so they had been exploring other options.

Starting with his forehead, Danny concentrated on tensing only those muscles and holding them for a few seconds before relaxing. He repeated that process a few times before moving down each small section of his body, from his face all the way down to his toes. It was not a perfect system, but it usually seemed to help ease the tension which contributed to his headaches.

Unfortunately, this was not one of those times where his body was going to cooperate with him. His headache was on the verge of becoming unbearable, and he could only hope that it didn't last too long; or that Charlie wouldn't choose this particular time to verbally or emotionally attack him again. He hadn't mentioned Danny's lack of sight, so he wasn't sure if he was just waiting to pounce on his weakness, or if he had just been so angry that he had missed that one important detail. Whatever the case, at least he had a little time to figure out his next move, such that it was, essentially tied to a wall and unable to see. Just fucking great.

He shut his eyes and tried to doze for a few minutes, but before too long, he heard movement from outside the room. Without warning, the door slammed open, and Danny found himself once again, caught up by the front of his shirt. Only this time, his head snapped to the right as Charlie's fist found the side of his jaw.

"Why did you ever come here? All of us would have been so much better off without you. Kono never would have gotten involved with Adam, and she would have been mine. This is all your fault!" Charlie was jabbing punch after punch into his ribs and kidney area, landing the occasional one to Danny's jaw – and Danny was powerless to stop much of the assault.

He wasn't about to just sit there and take it, though. He tried to lash out, connecting solidly with Charlie's leg. The resounding crunch told Danny that Charlie would be in some mild pain, at the very least.

Charlie got in one last kick to Danny's ribs before Danny heard him stumbling towards the door. It sounded like he might be limping – the cadence was different than he had heard before – but whatever was wrong with him, Danny was grateful for the reprieve.

He gently rested on his back and tried to take stock of what hurt the most. Obviously, the pain in his head had now ratcheted up to an unbearable level. He was having a bit of trouble catching his breath, and he wasn't sure whether it was from the adrenaline or from his now-injured ribs. His lower back ached as well, and he wondered just what kind of damage the hits had done.

"Fuck." Danny winced as he shifted, trying to find a more comfortable position, closing his eyes against the sudden nausea overwhelming him. He really wanted to curl up on his side with a pillow over his head, but there was no way that was happening in his current position.

After a while, Danny decided that he wanted to cry, and fuck anyone who said he shouldn't. His headache was in no way, shape, or form going away, although it wasn't as bad as the worst had been. He was tired and frustrated, and more than a little confused by Charlie's actions. He hadn't come back into the room since he left, and he had no idea what was going on. Danny hadn't heard him for a while either, which meant either he had left, or had fallen asleep.

Turning towards the wall, he finally drifted into a restless sleep, where his dreams were littered with images of his time on Hawaii, although they had morphed into exactly what Charlie had said. It was like he was standing to the side, watching a movie of himself ruining everything and everyone around him, only he couldn't wake himself up. At times, he wanted to laugh. Other times, the only thing he thought he could do was cry. At any rate, by the time he finally started to wake up, he was physically and emotionally exhausted from essentially reliving his life through his dreams.

He took a deep breath and blinked slowly, chasing the sleep from his mind. Within a few seconds of awakening, his heart rate quickened as he realized that things were drastically different.

Danny blinked a few times to clear the tears from his eyes. He wasn't sure how it had happened, but he could see vague shadows outlined by light. He didn't know what that meant, other than _he could actually see something, although it was far from clear._ He closed his eyes for a few moments before opening them again, a little afraid of what he might not see. _There they were again. Shadows and light…two of the most beautiful things he had ever seen in his life._

Turning so that his foot was firmly planted, he brushed up against something hard on the floor. Reaching down, he willed himself to remain calm as his fingers came in contact with the cool metal of a cell phone. Charlie must have dropped it when he collapsed. And the fact that he hadn't come back in to get it yet must mean that he was still incapacitated somehow.

Listening for any movement outside the door, he begged his trembling fingers to quickly figure out the layout of the phone. He struggled to remember what Shari had taught him about button placement and swore inwardly as he remembered how petulant he had been about his therapy at the time.

He couldn't tell whether the phone was on or off, so he had to just hope and pray for the best. Pressing what he thought was 9-1-1; he struggled to find the 'send' button. When nothing happened, he took a deep breath and tried to figure out his next move.

Panicking was not going to help, although he really wanted to give in to the impending anxiety attack; but he really had no idea just how much time he might have. He found what he thought might be the 'power' button and pushed it, hoping that he hadn't just turned the phone off. Sighing in relief, he felt the phone lightly vibrate underneath his fingers. It felt like it could be very similar to his phone, and the fact that the keypad vibrated on contact helped him.

He took a deep breath and carefully pushed what he hoped was the correct series of buttons, praying that he would answer. _Hurry. Hurry._

"McGarrett."

Danny had never been happier to hear his partner's voice in his life. "Steve?" he whispered. "It's me. I need your help."

"Danny? Is that you?"

"Yeah. I don't know how much time I have, but I need you to get a signal lock on this phone. I don't really understand, but Charlie Fong is the one who kidnapped me."

"Charlie? Fong? Is he crazy?" Steve had motioned to Chin and Kono to meet him in the bullpen, and they were busy tapping keys, trying to lock into where Danny might be held.

Danny smiled ruefully to himself. "That's a good question, Steve."

After a few more moments, Kono yelped, "I think I've got you, Danny. We just need to stablize the signal. Hang tight, okay brah?"

Danny let out a tense breath, his eyes instantly flooding with tears. "I have to go now. I don't want Charlie to hear me. Just hurry. And tell Grace? Please?" With that, Danny reluctantly ended the call and turned the phone off.

He debated whether or not to hide the phone, but ultimately decided to just put it back where he had found it, figuring the less suspicion he placed on himself, the better. He had no way of knowing just what was going to set Charlie off on another rage. And since he wasn't sure what was going on with his vision, Danny knew that he was not anywhere near one hundred percent.

He resumed his position facing the ceiling and tried to calm his breathing. He knew that he had to appear as though he hadn't moved at all, and so he compartmentalized every positive emotion that was roaring through his body even though he wanted to shout from the rooftops.

After some time had passed…he really wasn't sure how long…he heard footsteps outside the door. Danny kept silent as Charlie approached his cot and carefully unlocked his ankle from the shackle attached to the wall. He also heard the scraping of metal against the floor, and rightfully assumed that Charlie had picked up the phone.

"The bathroom's through the doorway. You have five minutes. Don't try anything stupid, Danny."

Danny blinked in confusion. Gone was the venom, at least for the time being. Right now, Charlie just sounded tired and hollow. Danny was even more convinced now that something was really wrong with him.

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There was frantic activity in the bullpen, as the team mobilized and worked to lock onto the phone's signal. It felt like a lifetime before Chin shouted, "Yes!" He was finally able to triangulate the cell phone signal, which placed Danny in small house about thirty minutes north of headquarters.

They geared up and made the dash for Steve's truck. They didn't have a lot of time to waste, if Danny's anxiety was any indication. There were so many unanswered questions, but above all, they knew one thing. It was time to get Danny back home.

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Danny splashed some water on his face after he had finished using the restroom. Opening the door, he felt Charlie immediately grab his elbow and hurry him back into the room where he was being held. For whatever reason, he didn't shackle him to the wall again. He simply pushed Danny back into the room and locked the door behind him.

Danny gingerly felt his way back to the cot, wanting nothing more than to just lie down. Seeing shadows was starting to make him dizzy, almost like his brain had to relearn what it was like to not live in total darkness. That, combined with the pounding in his head was making him feel worse than he had since all of this started.

As Danny sat down, he brushed up against a couple of water bottles. He didn't know whether or not Charlie had put anything into the water, so he held off on drinking anything for now. For now, he really just wanted to close his eyes and let his world stop spinning.

There was no way to know how much time had passed, but all of a sudden, he heard a loud crash from the other room; followed by Charlie's angry shouting.

"Danny? What in the hell did you do? _What did you do?!_"

Charlie had flung the door open almost before Danny was able to sit up and brace himself. He couldn't completely see it, but Charlie was holding out his phone. "Why did you have to go and screw things up, Danny? Why?"

Seeing Charlie's shadow coming closer, Danny knew that he was walking towards him. He also knew that he had to think quickly or there was no telling how Charlie would react.

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	11. Chapter 11

_A/N: I received a few PM's and anonymous reviews that showed people's anger at my "trashing the character" of Charlie, and stating that I just don't care about the characters on the show. Just remember that I love Charlie (and the team), and that there is a lot that isn't what it seems. I was also told that they could no longer read this crap, etc... While I respect people's decision to read or not read, I wanted to thank those of you who are willing to wait for the explanation to come. It will come - it's what I've had planned all along. In the next couple of chapters after this one, everything will be revealed. In the meantime, let's find Danny, shall we?_

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Danny rapidly lashed out at the shadow with a kick; aimed at what he thought would be his knee. His foot made contact, although he could tell that it was not a solid hit. It was, however, enough to stun Charlie momentarily and gave him time to set his feet once again.

He knew that he had to remain in control, because the moment he started fighting with emotion would be the moment that Charlie would gain the upper hand. In all of his years of boxing growing up, he had been taught that the moment he let his opponent goad him into fighting with his heart rather than his head was usually the moment that he would end up getting hurt.

And frankly, his head hurt enough right now…he really didn't want to add anything more to it.

"Danny, why did you have to go and ruin things?" Charlie was closer than he thought he was, so he surreptitiously adjusted her stance so that he was in range of where his kidnapper was. Charlie hadn't really blocked him with any technique that he could tell, but still... The Charlie he used to know hadn't had any sort of fight training, but this Charlie was nothing like the man he knew. He couldn't be too careful.

"How did I ruin things, Charlie? I still don't understand what's going on with you?" His guard remained up as he searched the shadows for Charlie's form.

"You used my phone." Charlie was upset, and apparently was pacing, because he was now moving away from him again. "You didn't think I'd check the call log? Damn it, Danny." He was starting to get agitated again, and Danny knew that he was going to need to go on the offensive, rather than keep the defensive position he was in.

He waited until Charlie was close to him again before crouching down and aiming a solid sweeping kick to the back of his knees, immediately dropping him to the floor. He followed with an elbow strike to the side of his head, knocking him unconscious.

Breathing hard, Danny cautiously felt along Charlie's neck, only slightly reassured to feel a pulse. It was slow, but steady. He lightly traced his fingers along the closed eyes, feeling for any inadvertent fluttering that would signal that Charlie was faking being out cold, but found no movement.

He felt sick at the thought that he was only a little glad to have felt his pulse. He didn't really want him dead. After all, this was Charlie…unassuming Charlie, who had been a friend to the whole team. But still…this wasn't the same Charlie that he knew. Something was off, but he didn't know what it was. He was just really tired of being terrorized like he had been, and he missed Grace. He only hoped that when he finally got out of here, that they'd figure out what was going on with him…what had prompted Charlie to freak the fuck out?

He felt his way down Charlie's arms until he reached his pockets. There was enough light in the room that he was able to make out a very fuzzy outline of his prone form on the floor. But at least he wasn't just a big blob any longer…he finally had an outline. If it wasn't for the whole 'being captured and threatened and feeling like his head was going to explode right off of his neck' thing he had going on, he would have celebrated somehow.

He gingerly felt his pockets until he found the keys that he assumed would lock the room that they were in. He also felt along the floor until his hand brushed up against what had started Charlie's latest rage—his cell phone.

He sat back on his heels as another wave of dizziness washed over him. _Damn it._ He just wanted to get out of that room and make sure that Charlie wouldn't come after him. He took a few slow breaths and tried to calm himself down. Hopefully this would all be over soon, and then he could just sleep for an entire week. He amended that thought in his head. He would sleep for an entire week, only if Grace were nearby. He couldn't put into words just how pissed he was that Charlie had interrupted his weekend with his daughter. He could only imagine how scared she had been, assuming she had been dropped off at Steve's, as per the plan.

His vision suddenly went blurry once again, but he didn't panic as the pair of warm wet tracks down his cheeks gave him the reason why. He hurriedly wiped at his eyes and took a deep breath. Losing his shit wasn't going to get him out of this situation any faster, and he had work to do.

He felt his way to the doorway and pulled the door shut as he left the room. It took him a couple of minutes to try the nine keys on the key ring before he found the one that would lock the deadbolt from the outside.

He took a deep breath as he realized that he was safe for the time being. This was far from over, but he actually felt like he could exhale now that he was out of that room.

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Steve could feel himself clenching his jaw, but he didn't care. A quick glance to the passenger seat and then in the rear view mirror showed that Chin and Kono had much the same look about them. After a quick meet, they had figured out the logistics of how they were going to get Danny back.

Duke would bring a team and meet them at the location. They wanted to have an extra vehicle, should they need it. EMS was on standby, and would wait off site for word on Danny's condition. There was no way that Steve was going to let Danny go home without being checked out – there was no telling just what Charlie and done to him.

None of the team was in the mood for small talk, but the silence was quickly becoming deafening. Finally Kono cleared her throat softly. "So what do you make of Charlie?"

Steve's jaw clenched tightly at the question. The answer seemed so obvious to him. "I think that unless Charlie has a really good explanation for why he kidnapped my best friend, he may be a dead man."

Chin's head snapped sharply to the left, and noted that Steve was seriously struggling. "Steve…"

Steve sighed and glanced at Chin briefly, knowing that he had probably taken it too far. But this was Danny. Danny had been on the receiving end of so much crap as of late – to add this to the pile simply pissed him off.

Steve immediately turned to stare out the front window once again, effectively ending the conversation as quickly as it had started.

It wasn't that Kono really wanted to talk. She just wanted to try to figure out _why_ Charlie had done this. This wasn't the Charlie that she knew. She had gone over it so many times in her head that she couldn't make sense of it any longer. She had hoped that Steve might have some insight.

As Steve pressed the gas just a bit harder, he glanced at the clock on the dash. His pulse sped up slightly as he realized that they would be there soon, and hopefully would find the answers that they were searching for.

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Danny just wanted to curl up on the couch and close his eyes, but he couldn't do that. He was incredibly nauseous, and his ribs burned like fire. He had heard Charlie groan once or twice, but not much beyond that. He knew the door was locked, but he couldn't remember about the window…or if there even was a window. He didn't remember seeing one…that thought struck him as funny for some reason…not that that would have been possible anyway. Nonetheless, he knew that he couldn't let his guard down until he was safe. He had tried the phone once again, but couldn't get it to work. And he couldn't see well enough to know if it was the battery or something else.

Slowly, he walked along the perimeter of the room until he came to what he was searching for…the window. He pulled the corner of the curtain away, just happy to 'see' the light outside. It wasn't like he could see much else, unless something happened to be parked on the porch. But given the darkness of his recent past, the warmth and the light coming through the glass were a welcomed treasure.

A fast moving shadow suddenly crossed the window, causing him to stumble back in fright. Fortunately, he had stayed quiet. Whatever…or whoever it was, had moved quickly. He hurried as best he could to find a more secure location. He knew that he needed to get out of that open room. He was in no shape to fight anyone else. At least with Charlie, he had learned firsthand what he was capable of. This new wrinkle of whoever was outside was not going to be good.

Danny quickly found what he thought would be a safe place. Listening intently, he held his breath as he heard the creak of the back door. He knew that he couldn't risk being heard, no matter what. What sounded like two…maybe three sets of footsteps slowly made their way across the wooden floor and past the kitchen pantry where Danny was hiding. It was the first door that Danny had opened; giving him what he hoped was a relatively safe place to hide out. He needed a few seconds to try to calm himself down. The pain in his head was off the charts, and it was making him more and more nauseous.

He slowly exhaled as the footsteps moved away from where he was. Whoever was in the house was quiet, giving him no opportunity to figure out who they were. The darkened pantry had taken away his ability to see anything, which put him at an even bigger disadvantage than he already was.

The pantry must have been on the other side of the room that he had been in, because he could hear Charlie starting to wake up just on the other side of the back wall. His groan quickly brought the footsteps to the door, causing Danny to recoil inadvertently. Unfortunately for him, his flinch knocked a can to the floor.

Knowing that the intruders had gone down the hall to investigate the noise from Charlie's room, he decided that he was going to try to make a break for the door, rather than be trapped in a closet with no way to escape. He flung the door open and stumbled clumsily through the kitchen, trying to keep the contents of his stomach where they belonged. He was immediately stopped by someone grabbing him from behind.

"Danny?"

He immediately stopped as he heard a familiar voice. He wasn't sure if his mind was playing tricks on him or not. "Steve?"

That was all it took before he was gathered into a tight hug. Danny let out a shaky breath and clutched at Steve's shirt. He was safe. It was all going to be okay now. They had found him. He nearly stumbled on wobbly legs as Steve guided him to sit down on the couch.

Steve could see the bruising on Danny's face, and based on the way he was walking, knew that he had bruising on his torso as well. Danny had to be in quite a bit of pain.

"Chin…Kono…I've got him. He's okay." Steve gingerly sat down on the couch, reluctant to make Danny move from where he was. It was obvious that he was hanging on by a thread – his face looked very pinched, which meant that his head was probably pounding.

Hearing Steve say the cousins' names made Danny drop his head into his hands. All of the emotion of the last couple of days had caught up with him, and he found himself starting to shake.

"Hey, brah." Chin knelt down beside the couch and placed a comforting arm on his shoulder, while Kono reached for a throw to put over his shoulders. They could see that the adrenaline was wearing off, and he was close to crashing. But they needed to see for themselves that he was okay.

He lifted his face with a watery smile. "Hi Wonder Twins."

Steve was furious to see the obvious exhaustion, as evidenced by the dark circles underneath Danny's eyes. He also knew that there were probably more bruises than he could see. He knew that Danny needed to get out of there and get to the hospital to get checked out, but there were still a few unanswered questions.

"Danny, where's Charlie?"

Danny sank back against the cushions, keeping his arm in contact with Steve. He was unwilling to let him get too far away. After Charlie had isolated him from his family, he was struggling with the idea of being alone. "He's locked in one of the bedrooms. But something's not right with him. One of the times he came in to…talk to me, he collapsed in pain. I heard him with a bottle of pills, but I don't know what they were."

Neither team member missed the pause in his voice when he mentioned Charlie 'talking' to him. There was more than he was letting on, but they'd give him space for now.

"He got really pissed when he found out I'd used his phone, so when he came back in, I eventually dropped him and knocked him out. I grabbed the phone, found his keys, and locked him in the room. I tried to use the phone again when I got out of there, but it didn't work. I think you guys showed up not too long after that, but I'm not sure. It's kind of a big blur right now."

He held the door key out as he spoke, not knowing who it was who took it from him. Kono squeezed his hand reassuringly before getting up and walking towards the bedroom. "It's going to be okay, Danny." He squeezed back before letting go to wrap his arms around himself, trying to brace his middle. He really needed to lie down soon.

Steve knew that he needed to hurry and get EMS here. Danny was way too pale for his liking. "Be honest, Danny. Any particularly bad injuries that we can't see? Did he hurt you?"

Danny waggled his hand from side to side. "He was just so fucking pissed, Steve. He was nothing like the Charlie that we know. I don't get it."

Steve was seething as he heard what Danny had said. One way or another, he was going to get to the bottom of this. He didn't particularly care that something was different with Charlie. He was going to pay for what he had done.

He watched as Kono unlocked the door, not sure what to expect. Chin had her back as she stepped into the room. She immediately spotted her friend seated on the edge of the cot with his head in his hands and his eyes narrowed into a scowl.

"Charlie? You really have some explaining to do." With that, she shut the door behind her.

Danny and Steve sat in silence for a few moments, while Chin made the call to get EMS inside. It wasn't too long, however, before Danny could no longer stand the quiet. He had to do something. Turning so that he was facing his best friend, he couldn't help himself. "Hey Steve?"

His voice was quiet, but tinged with a bit of snark. "I understand that time was of the essence, and that you probably broke numerous traffic laws coming to my rescue. I'm very grateful for that, by the way. But would it have killed you to, you know, dress up a little more? I mean, really? Cargoes and a polo shirt? Your wardrobe is becoming rather boring and predictable."

With that, Danny sat back and waited for the fireworks to begin.

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	12. Chapter 12

_A/N: Thank you all for the kindness. I don't begrudge a reader the right to stop reading the story - but I just wish people would be transparent and not hide behind anonymity. I'm grateful for those who are willing to see this through - even if it's not the way you want it to be._

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If he didn't feel like shit, he might have enjoyed the vein popping out on Steve's forehead as he realized just what Danny's words meant. "Danny? You…" Steve blinked a couple of times, his mouth agape. He wasn't sure if he had heard him right, but when he looked right at Danny's eyes, he saw that he was no longer staring just past him, but was really and truly looking at him.

He immediately pulled him into a gentle hug, feeling such a sense of relief for Danny. For a few seconds, he could only sit in silence as his words completely registered. _He would get to see Grace grow up. He wouldn't miss any more days of his daughter's life._

He reluctantly broke from the hug, pausing to pinch the bridge of his nose. "What happened, Danny? Can you really see me?"

Danny winced as he adjusted his position on the couch. "It's not all the way yet, but things are starting to come back. Although I never thought I'd say that you looked good as a blurry blob, but you do, Steve. You really do."

Chin came into the room, letting Steve know that EMS was about two minutes out. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Danny watching him…not just looking near where he was, but actually tracking his movements with his eyes. Studying him a little more closely, Chin broke into a wide smile. "Danny?"

Danny raised one hand in a brief wave. "Hi Chin." His voice was pinched, but his eyes were full of happiness.

Chin patted him gently on the shoulder before moving to sit on the edge of the coffee table. "How long?"

Danny shifted again, feeling worse by the minute. "Right before I called Steve. It was all just blurry shadows at first, but I think things are starting to become a little clearer. I just…" Danny trailed off as he absentmindedly chewed on his bottom lip.

"You just don't want to get your hopes up, right?" Steve nodded knowing that he could read his best friend. "We'll get this straightened out as soon as we get back home, okay?"

Danny nodded and glanced towards the locked bedroom. "I hope we get _all_ of this straightened out, and soon."

Steve followed his gaze and nodded. "We will. No matter what, we will get to the bottom of this, okay?"

Danny's breath hitched as his body protested the way he was sitting, causing Steve to lean over in alarm. "Danny?"

Danny felt something different. He was trying to catch his breath, but it was getting harder and harder. He shook his head. "It's kind of hard to breathe."

Chin heard the ambulance pull up and rushed to open the door, while Steve tried to make Danny more comfortable.

"It's going to be okay, Danny. Just take some small breaths. EMS is here and they'll get you taken care of." Steve kept a solid hand against Danny's back, letting him know that he wasn't going anywhere.

Two paramedics rushed into the room, pulling a stretcher between them. "Hi there. I'm Kai, and this is my partner, Mack. What do we have?"

Danny didn't look like he was up for much conversation, so Steve filled them in the best he could, introducing himself and Chin before speaking. "Danny was kidnapped a little over five hours ago – give or take. He had a prior head injury – he was a patient at Tripler – which resulted in the loss of sight, but Danny shared that he's starting to get some vision back – it's blurry, but it's returning. He was assaulted by the man who kidnapped him, and aside from the obvious bruising, is complaining of rib pain, along with difficulty breathing."

Kai put a hand on Danny's arm, trying to get his attention. "Anything else you can add, Danny?"

Danny kept his breathing shallow, knowing he needed to try to respond. "Bad headache…really bad. Might have gotten kidneys, too. Mostly punches, but a few kicks as well."

Steve was seething at that, and Chin looked like he wanted to go and kick Kono out of the room and have a go at Charlie himself.

Mack readied the high-flow oxygen and placed the mask over Danny's mouth and nose. "Try to leave this on, okay? It'll help with the breathing. Do you mind if we take a quick look at those ribs and get an IV started before we get you ready to go?"

Danny nodded his head. "…'s okay."

As Kai cut Danny's shirt away, Steve inhaled sharply at the array of bruises that were already coloring Danny's ribs and chest. He helped Danny lean forward, and saw similar bruising on his back. _Charlie was a dead man._

Mack quickly got an IV started and moved the gurney closer to the couch. "Here we go, Danny. We're going to get you sitting up on here first, and then see where you're breathing is most comfortable. I'm going to radio ahead and see if I can't give you a little morphine to help you out as well."

Between Kai, Mack, Chin and Steve, they moved Danny onto the gurney with very little pain. He figured out that lying down, but not flat, was comfortable enough, at least for now.

It was decided that Chin and Kono would bring Charlie back to the Palace and see what they could find out. Steve would ride with Danny, and make sure he stayed as calm as possible. They could see that he was at the end of his rope, and the anxiety over being in pain and not able to breathe would only make things worse for him.

They got him loaded into the ambulance, and Steve was relieved when Mack got permission for a dose of morphine to be administered. While initially it helped relax him, about fifteen minutes into the drive, he started becoming more agitated.

"Danny, it's okay. You're okay." Steve tried to calm him down, but wasn't sure what was upsetting him so much.

Mack immediately grabbed his stethoscope and listened to Danny's lungs. He was relieved to hear _some_ breath sounds, although they weren't as good as he would have liked. So while he was pretty sure Danny's lung had a pneumothorax, he didn't think it had collapsed completely.

He moved into Danny's line of sight and tried to figure out what was going on. "Danny? What is it?"

Danny tried to grab at the mask, but Mack held his hands down. "Leave that on, Danny. You need it to help you breathe."

A light bulb went on for Steve. "Mack? Danny's a bit claustrophobic. Is there any way to get him enough oxygen without using a mask?"

Mack wasn't thrilled with that idea. "With the way his lung is behaving, he really needs the high-flow. We're only a few minutes out – do you think he can make it?"

Steve nodded and moved towards Danny's head. "I know the risks of unbuckling, but I'll stay up here and talk to him. Hopefully we can keep him settled until we get to Tripler."

Mack nodded his head, and Steve knelt down next to the gurney. "You're okay, Danny. The oxygen is helping you breathe. You have to leave the mask on. Just try to slow down, okay? You know the panic won't last forever – and we're going to be at the hospital in a few minutes. You can do this for just a few more minutes, Danny. I know you can. You're strong, man. Look at what you've been through already. A few more minutes of oxygen is something that you can definitely handle." He kept his voice low, hoping that at least the calmness would get through to him.

Every time that Danny reached for the mask, Steve held his arms. He hated doing it, as he could see the fear reflected in Danny's eyes – but he didn't have a choice. Danny needed the oxygen. Period.

Thankfully, it was only about five more minutes until they were pulling up to the ER doors. Almost as soon as the ambulance stopped, the doors were thrown open, and the trauma team was waiting for them.

Mack and Kai wheeled the ambulance from the back and into the hospital, with Steve jogging beside it. Kai was brief as he gave his report to Dr. Sanchez, the ER doctor on call.

"Danny Williams was kidnapped approximately six hours ago. He's a former medical and rehab patient here – status post head injury and blindness. His partner, Commander Steve McGarrett states that Danny reported getting some vision back, although it's not complete as of yet."

The doctor was assessing Danny as Kai kept talking. They wheeled him into the trauma room, shutting the door behind them, leaving Steve in the hallway. "Danny was beaten by his kidnapper, and is showing extensive bruising on his ribs, belly, and lower back. He's complaining of difficulty breathing and a severe headache. Breath sounds are diminished on his right side, O2 sat is 95% on 15 Liters of oxygen, pulse is 87, blood pressure is 90 over 57, and respirations are 24 and shallow."

Danny was starting to panic, as evidenced by his heart rate and breathing. A quick X-Ray showed that Danny's lung was partially collapsed, and the decision was made to insert a chest tube. Knowing that Danny's vision was still poor, the young doctor placed his hand on Danny's arm and leaned over. "Danny? I'm Dr. Sanchez. I know you're having a hard time breathing, and we're going to take care of that. We're going to need to put in a chest tube. I'm going to give you some medicine through your IV to help you relax a little bit, and then I'm going to numb the area where the chest tube will go. Do you understand?"

Danny's eyes were wide as they darted between the doctor and where he thought the door was. He nodded, and whispered, "Steve?"

Seeing that his patient was struggling to stay calm, he motioned for a nurse to bring Steve in. "Okay, Danny. He's coming." Dr. Sanchez saw every type of trauma through the ER, but knew that patients who had family or friends nearby almost always had a more favorable recovery.

As Steve came into the room, he introduced himself to Dr. Sanchez. The doctor was prepping Danny for the chest tube. "He's asking for you. If you could help keep him calm, that would be great. I've given him diazepam for anxiety and am going to numb his right side to place a chest tube. I'm also going to give him another hit of morphine. He's pretty muscular, which usually means more pain. I'm kind of opposed to that, so I'm going to make sure he's comfortable."

Steve had been on the receiving end of a chest tube before, and knew that they were unsettling at best. He stood at the head of the gurney and grabbed Danny's hand, locking their thumbs together. "It's going to be okay, Danny. They're going to get you fixed up in no time." He watched as the nurse dumped the morphine into his IV port. With any luck, it would start to work before too long.

The Valium was starting to take effect, but Danny had one more thought. "Grace?"

Steve squeezed his hand. "As soon as Chin and Kono get here, I'll call her and let her know you're okay. You just worry about you for right now, okay?"

Danny winced as the needle went into his chest…hopefully the Lidocaine that the doc just injected would kick in soon.

Steve averted his eyes as soon as he saw that Danny also would soon be the proud borrower of a urinary catheter. Once Danny was covered up again, he couldn't ignore, however, the distinct pink tinge to the bag now hanging underneath the gurney. That meant that Charlie had done enough damage for Danny to have blood in his urine. _Charlie would be a dead man, again._

Once the numbing medicine had finally started to work, Dr. Sanchez took Danny's right arm and placed it over his head. "I'm going to have you move out of the way so that a nurse can get in here to hold his arm."

Steve saw Danny's eyes widen and shook his head. "I can hold him steady, Doc. I'm Navy SEAL Reserves – I've had extensive field medicine training. He'll be calmer with me up here, anyway. He's been through so much shit over the past few weeks – he needs all of the familiarity he can get right now."

Dr. Sanchez just nodded, reiterating the need for Danny to hold still.

Steve could see Dr. Sanchez pinching at areas of Danny's skin, and knew he was testing to make sure the numbness had fully taken hold. Satisfied that everything was ready, he placed the scalpel along Danny's rib cage.

He made an incision, and using his finger as a guide, developed the track for the chest tube. Steve only had to clamp down on Danny one time, as they worked the track around the chest muscle. Within a minute, the tube was in place, and was attached to the underwater seal, helping to reinflate Danny's lung.

Almost immediately, Danny's breathing started to even out, and he slowly appeared much more comfortable. The technician came in for a follow-up X-Ray to confirm the chest tube position, and Steve was able to step out quickly while they snapped the films.

Danny was much more relaxed, thanks to the ease in breathing, combined with the Valium and morphine. Dr. Sanchez quickly confirmed the tube placement, and informed Steve that they would be taking Danny for a CT scan. They wanted to get a better look at any damage that Charlie had done.

Steve nodded. "I'm going to wait here, if that's okay. I need to call his daughter and let her know that we found Danny."

Dr. Sanchez pointed him to a small room down the hallway. "You can use the staff lounge – if you're not back here when we bring him back, I'll come and get you myself."

Satisfied that the portable equipment was in place, Dr. Sanchez was ready to wheel Danny down the hallway. Steve leaned over and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Hang tight, Danny. I'll be here when you get back from your scan, okay?"

Danny nodded and closed his eyes. The medications were making him very sleepy, and at this point, now that he could breathe, he didn't care if he stayed awake. Plus, watching the ceiling tiles zoom by would do nothing for the headache and the nausea. He figured he was safer taking a short nap while they did whatever it was that they were going to do.

After they had taken Danny down the hallway, Steve stepped into the lounge and pulled out his cell. He debated calling Rachel first, but he wasn't going to go back on the promise he made to Grace. In only rang twice before Grace's voice was in his ear.

"Uncle Steve! What happened? Is Danno okay?" Her voice was breathless, and he could hear Rachel in the background.

"Hey, munchkin. Your dad is going to be okay. He's pretty banged up right now, but they're checking him out, and as soon as I know how he's doing, I'll let you know. He'll probably have to stay in the hospital for a few days, but the important thing is, he's going to be fine."

Steve had to hold the phone away from his ear or risk losing his hearing as Grace screamed her exuberance. Steve couldn't help but grin, though – he loved listening to her excitement.

"Let me talk to your mom, okay? And I promise I'll call you when Danny can see you."

Grace was still almost vibrating from the good news. "Okay, Uncle Steve. I love you!"

Steve took a deep breath. "I love you too, kiddo."

Rachel took Grace's place on the phone. "So how is he, really, Steve?"

Steve sighed audibly before scrubbing a hand over his eyes. "He's pretty beat to hell right now. The doc had to put in a chest tube – he's got some bruised ribs, and they're not sure if one may have punctured his lung, but his lung partially collapsed. He's also got some bad bruising on his low back – possibly some kidney damage. They took him for a scan right now, so once they're back, we'll know more. But like I told Grace…the important thing is that we found him. The rest we can deal with, whatever the result."

Rachel was shocked to hear that things were so bad. "Do you think he'll be okay? Honestly?

Steve nodded and replied, "I really do. He'll be miserable for a few days, but nothing appeared to be life-threatening. He just needs time – and his family and friends."

Rachel promised to bring Grace by just as soon as Steve got the okay from Danny's doctors. As he hung up the phone, he decided to grab a cup of coffee from the pot in the lounge, figuring he would be up for quite a few hours keeping an eye on Danny. There was no way he was leaving him alone, after everything he had been through.

He made his way back to the exam room, and before too long, they were wheeling Danny back inside. Dr. Sanchez was right there, and pulled Steve aside as the nurses were getting Danny off of the portable equipment. "So what's the damage, Doc?"

Dr. Sanchez actually smiled, which went a long way to making Steve feel a little better about things. "He's pretty beat up, but it's not as bad as originally feared. He has two broken ribs, but neither are free-floating, which is good news. They'll be painful, but will heal with rest and support. The pneumothorax was probably caused by a blow to his back, but it'a a manageable size and should resolve itself in the next twenty-four hours. He does have some bruising to his right kidney, but again, it doesn't require any specific treatment other than monitoring. His belly is clear of any bleeding, so all in all, he's doing well right now. We're going to move him to the Intermediate Care Unit – he doesn't need the ICU, but he'll get better monitoring and pain control in the step down unit."

Steve took a deep breath and let it out. It was bad, but was nowhere near as bad as he was thinking. "What about his headache? Did anything show on the scan?"

Dr. Sanchez shook his head. "No. The best I can think of is that they are just remnants of his original head injury – you said he had blindness as a result of that?"

Steve nodded. "Yeah – something about swelling compressing the optic nerves. He did tell me that he was starting to get his sight back – hopefully it'll continue to improve."

Dr. Sanchez glanced at Danny's chart. "With headaches like that, sometimes they are almost migraine in nature. As the injury fully resolves, many times, the headaches disappear completely as well. I did have a chance to talk to Danny a bit before his scan, and he shared that things are even a tiny bit clearer than they were when he was first rescued. It certainly sounds like things are on the right track."

Steve noticed that Danny was resting fairly comfortably and relaxed even further. "How long do you think it will be before he gets to his room? I want to update the rest of the Five-0 team, as well as his daughter. She's ten, and after speaking to her to let her know we had found Danny, she's very anxious to see her dad."

Dr. Sanchez looked at the clock on the wall. "I'd say probably within the hour. Danny really needs his rest, but if you feel like his daughter needs to visit him tonight – or that Danny needs to see her tonight – I will authorize that she be allowed in the unit. I will arrange a visitor badge for her, just in case she comes. It'll be in Danny's chart. I understand the importance of family, Commander. Sometimes it's the best medicine of all."

Steve shook his hand in thanks. "Mahalo, Doc. I'll text the rest of our team, but will wait to call his daughter until he's settled."

Dr. Sanchez nodded before heading to the computer to chart some of Danny's results. Steve made his way back to Danny's side. Noting the even cadence to Danny's breathing, Steve whispered, "Rest easy, buddy. You're safe now. We've got you."

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_Next chapter is Charlie-centric. I think it will explain some things. _


	13. Chapter 13

_A/N: I'm going to preface this by saying that I hope this chapter measures up. My best friend a few years ago had an uncle, who was very much like Charlie (quiet and likeable), go through a personality shift for the same reason as I gave Charlie...and honestly, it's why I chose Charlie, rather than a less sympathetic character. It was very unsettling to my friend, as it didn't make sense - didn't fit what she knew about him. I knew how frustrating it was for her to witness firsthand - just as I imagined it would have frustrated the Five-0 team._

_I normally won't post until I have two chapters stockpiled in advance, but I didn't want to make you wait. Chapter 14 may be delayed a couple of days, though, while I get back ahead again._

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Chin sat stoically in the chair as he replayed parts of his and Charlie's conversation from the interrogation room over and over in his head. He had no idea where to begin trying to figure this mess out.

"_Charlie? You have some explaining to do." He shut the door behind him and stood guard, almost daring Charlie to make a move._

_Charlie just looked defeated as he finally lifted his head. "I don't know what you want me to say, Chin. I screwed up, and Five-0 has every right to take care of things to their satisfaction."_

_Chin listened as Charlie practically offered his life as punishment for taking Danny. But remembering his teammate's words from earlier, he looked at the younger man's face and realized that there was something different about Charlie. He just didn't look right._

_"What I want is the truth." Chin sat down on a chair across from Charlie. _

_"Spare me, Chin. You've already decided what the truth is…that I'm some bastard, and you know what? You're right. So if you came in here to kill me, just get it over with. It's what I deserve."_

_Chin watched as Charlie absentmindedly squinted his eyes and realized just how haggard Charlie really looked. He would get to the bottom of this, but first, he needed to see what Kono had found out._

_"What you deserve is not up to me, Charlie. That being said, we will figure out just what in the hell possessed you to kidnap Danny. And if that doesn't work, then we'll see about Five-0's satisfaction."_

_Charlie had watched as Chin merely stood and left the room, leaving him alone with his thoughts. He knew _what_ he had done, but how could he explain just _why_ he had done it? Ever since he found out…_

_Charlie couldn't think about that right now. There would be an eternity for him to think about what had happened. Right now, he wished he couldn't think at all._

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Dr. Sanchez had kept his word, and within the hour, Danny was settled into the step-down unit. Although the nursing staff was careful, the move had taken quite a bit out of Danny. He had broken out into a sweat, and the nausea had started to ramp up again.

Steve had grabbed a basin and filled it with cool water. He wet a washcloth and draped it over Danny's forehead, hoping the cool temperature would settle him down.

"How are you doing, Danny?" Steve pulled the chair over to the side of the bed and watched as Danny slowly turned his way.

"I'll be fine, Steve. Why don't you go home?" Danny was tired and did not feel well. There was nothing that Steve could do for him, so he might as well leave and come back in the morning. But the honest truth was…he really didn't want to be alone tonight. Too much time alone with his thoughts would not be welcomed, but he couldn't ask Steve to babysit him all night.

Steve could see right through Danny's 'order' and just shook his head. "Nope. I'm not going home, Danny. I promised your daughter that I would make sure you were okay, and that's what I'm going to do. So zip it."

Danny smiled tiredly. "Is Grace okay?"

Steve nodded softly. "She's fine. Dr. Sanchez said that she could come and see you tonight if you wanted her to. I wasn't sure how you would be feeling, so I told Rachel I'd text her. Are you up for some company tonight?"

Danny's eyes welled slightly. "I want to see her so bad, Steve. But I feel like shit. There is not a part of me that doesn't hurt right now. I just…I'm no good to her right now."

Steve could see that Danny was frustrated. His phone vibrated in his pocket, and he held up a hand to stop Danny. He shook his head as he read the text from Rachel. _'Grace asleep. Will text first but bring her tomorrow.'_

"First of all, Danny - you're always good for your daughter. No matter what condition, you are her world. But there are no worries. Apparently your daughter was wiped out, and she fell asleep. Rachel said that she would text first, but would bring her tomorrow, as soon as you were up for it. So you can just get some rest, okay? I know you hate taking anything, but I'm going to get your nurse and see if you can get something for pain, and then you can sleep for a while."

Danny nodded, exhausted. Hopefully he would feel better in the morning, and then he could see his baby girl again.

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Charlie slowly blinked his eyes and tried to figure out where he was. The last thing he remembered was Chin talking to him. Things were pretty fuzzy after that. He knew that he was in the interrogation room. He couldn't figure out why, though. Unfortunately for Charlie, however, he was left alone with his thoughts, which for him, was a terrifying place to be.

It wasn't too long before both Chin and Kono came into the room, their facial expressions completely blank, except for their eyes. It was what was behind the eyes that scared Charlie, because the emotion swirling there could mean anything.

"Charlie, we need to talk."

And with that, his fate was sealed.

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_"What did you find, Kono?" Chin walked up to the smart table after his initial interrogation of Charlie and watched as Kono sent some documents to the screen._

_Kono's eyes were wet. Charlie was a good friend, and to know what he was dealing with? "It appears that he was diagnosed with an almost 1 cm benign tumor in the left side of his frontal lobe. That's the area of the brain that controls emotions and personality, which makes so much more sense. They gave him medications to try to shrink the tumor and manage the mood changes, but it's been more apparent over the past two weeks that they aren't working like they used to. Now his doctors are adamant that he have the surgery done, but he's refusing."_

_She shook her head and wiped at her eyes. "Chin, he's all alone. He doesn't have any family – both of his parents are dead. He's got to be so scared, you know? But he kidnapped Danny! Even knowing what I know, I'm angry that he put Danny in the hospital. How messed up is that?"_

_Chin nodded…he was feeling much the same way, including the massive amounts of guilt over what he was feeling. But Charlie's diagnosis explained so much. There was no way that the Charlie they all knew would do this…but this wasn't the Charlie they all knew, was it?_

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Chin looked at the younger man with a mixture of mild compassion and anger…he still wasn't quite ready to forgive him for everything that had happened just yet. At least now, though, he knew that there was a reason behind Charlie's actions.

"You knew, Charlie? About the tumor, I mean." Chin's voice was calm, although he was still very unsettled on the inside.

Charlie nodded almost imperceptibly. "I found out about two months ago." He didn't offer much more than that. It was like he couldn't really articulate what he wanted to say, so rather than piss Chin or Kono off more than they already were, he chose to just say as little as possible.

Chin didn't push him, knowing that he didn't need a lecture right now. He needed support, and while he now knew that it wasn't Charlie's fault necessarily, it was still hard to fully let his anger go after seeing Danny so beaten.

"When they said that it was inoperable, I just shut down, you know?" Charlie took a deep breath to steady his nerves. "I didn't handle it very well. I kind of lost my shit for a few days, and all I had to show for it was a trashed house. And then there were the gaps of time that I can't really remember. They started out really sporadically, but got more and more frequent. I started to freak out."

Charlie had continued speaking, hardly even acknowledging that the cousins were in the room. "They said that surgery might work, but they couldn't guarantee it. I guess I was terrified, and I didn't want anything to do with them, so I took off."

Chin merely raised an eyebrow in a mock salute. "So you just decided to kidnap Danny and hide out somewhere?"

Charlie sat up, his eyes sharp. "Damn it, Chin. That's not fair."

It was Kono's look that had Charlie hanging his head. "No, Charlie. What's not fair is finding Danny running for his safety after someone he had considered a friend had taken him and held him captive, like some criminal. Did you even know that he couldn't see? Did you even care that he had been blinded on a bust?"

The color completely drained from Charlie's face. _Danny was blind?_ He really had no idea…hell, he honestly had very little recollection of the last few weeks, for that matter.

"Guys, I…I'm so sorry…I didn't…I just…" He couldn't get the words past the bile in the back of his throat. He was literally sickened by the thought of what he had done.

Chin and Kono stood unmoving as they watched the emotions roll across Charlie's face. As much as they didn't want to, they could not help but feel a little sympathy for the young man. If the information that they had gathered on Charlie's illness was correct, he really was not at fault. The tumor was in an area that controlled his emotions as well as his memory…he really had not known what he was doing.

"You should have just killed me, Chin. Or Kono…hell, one of you...it doesn't really matter. The thought of me hurting Danny like that just makes me sick…makes me wish I would have killed myself."

A loud crack filled the air as Kono's hand met the side of his face. They all froze, stunned at what he had said. "Don't you ever say that again, Charlie Fong. We've known you for years. Danny could tell that something was wrong. He knew you weren't acting like yourself. But how dare you wish that you had died!"

Charlie looked miserable. "I know, Kono…but…you don't know what it's like. Knowing what I did…knowing I could have taken Danny from his daughter forever? Or just as bad...missing entire chunks of time that I can never get back? Maybe it would be better for everyone if I wasn't around."

Chin ignored Charlie's emotional plea. "Danny mentioned that he heard what sounded like some pills. What were they for?"

Charlie nodded his head. _Of course he would pick up on that, even when he was blind._ "They were pain pills that I had leftover from a knee injury. I get some really bad headaches, and the only thing I can do is just hope that I can deaden the pain enough to sleep it off."

Charlie closed his eyes and dropped his head down. He was pale, and had prominent circles underneath his eyes. This whole ordeal had taken a physical and emotional toll on the young man.

Kono couldn't take it any longer. She leaned over and hugged him, squeezing tightly. Neither one knew who was offering the comfort, and neither one particularly cared at that point. All they knew was that one way or another, things would never be the same again. She felt Charlie's hands practically clawing at her back, trying to pull himself closer. After two months of feeling alone and isolated, she got the sense that he was craving the contact. That thought nearly made her sick. The idea that a guy as honest and decent as Charlie had gone through all of that alone nearly made her sick to her stomach.

She knew that this was hard for Charlie. It was hard for all of them. But right now, Charlie needed to be in the hospital where they could manage his symptoms, and they needed to figure out a way to convince Charlie that he should have the surgery.

If her limited research was right, there was a higher than 85% chance that the surgery would be a complete success – and even for those patients who could not have the entire tumor removed, their symptoms were greatly diminished.

She gave him one final squeeze and stood up. "We need to get you to the hospital, Charlie. We know they told you that you needed surgery, but you refused. Why?"

Kono wasn't judging him – she was genuinely curious as to why he wouldn't take every opportunity to beat this.

Charlie wiped at his eyes. "Short answer? I was scared…terrified, actually. But I guess it doesn't really matter now, does it? It's not like I have anyone around to care whether I make it through or not." He closed his eyes in defeat.

Kono was ready to smack him again, but Chin shook his head and gave Charlie a pointed look, reminding his cousin that Charlie was not himself right now. She took inventory of her friend and was dismayed at what she found.

Charlie had always been somewhat lean…he got that from running. Now, however, his frame almost appeared gaunt. He had lost weight that he really didn't have to begin with. His skin was washed out, magnifying the dark circles underneath his eyes. His hair was short, and strangely, Kono could not help but feel a sense of loss. She knew it was stupid, but she really wanted to be able to comfort Charlie by running her fingers through his hair; it had always soothed her, and she was bothered by the fact that she could not do that for him.

Suddenly, she felt like such an ass for still having doubts about him. She tilted her head in thought before asking, "Do you need anything? Is there anything I can get for you?" She didn't want to be insensitive, but wanted Charlie to know that she held no grudges over what had happened.

Chin motioned that he was going to call for a bus and stepped out into the hallway.

Charlie shook his head gingerly. "Would you think I was nuts if I said that I didn't know? I mean, I don't know what I'm supposed to do…what's supposed to happen next." Charlie simply looked overwhelmed.

Kono could tell that he was frustrated, so she reached for his hand again. "One day at a time, Charlie. There's no rush…"

Her eyes widened at what she just said. "Oh shit, Charlie. I'm so sorry…"

Charlie could not help but smile. That was what he had longed for…for someone to almost forget that he was sick. Correction. He wasn't just sick. If he didn't have the surgery, he was going to die. Still, he just wanted to feel normal for as long as he could. The one thing that scared him the most was feeling like he had lost control of himself. He didn't do well when he wasn't in control.

"Kono, don't worry about it. I know what you meant. And thank you for not treating me like I'm made of glass…I just want things to go back to the way they were, you know?"

Kono smiled in understanding. While she doubted that Charlie would ever feel normal again, she vowed to try to make things as comfortable for him as she could.

While they were waiting for the ambulance, Chin had come back and unlocked the cuffs, showing Charlie that they believed what he had told them. Kono reached for his elbow, leading Charlie back up to the bullpen.

On the way, he had shared the severity of what was going on with him; how the tumor was benign, but was in a place that would be tricky to reach, but not impossible. Unfortunately, it was not responsive to any of the conventional treatments that they had tried before he took off, and was, in fact, getting a bit bigger. Soon, although they could not predict exactly when, if nothing was done, it would start to invade areas of his brain that controlled his basic life functions. There was nothing that anyone could do for him once that happened.

The worst part for Chin and Kono was hearing Charlie break down over the potential loss of his dignity and what little control he had left. Not having any family left, he didn't want to become a burden to any of his friends, which for some reason frightened him more than anything. That was one of the reasons he initially took off shortly after he found out. He didn't want anyone to feel obligated to help him, and he especially didn't want their pity. He had no way of knowing just how he was going to react, though. Everything that everyone had said he had done...that wasn't who he was. It scared him how his personality seemed to almost split into something unrecognizable, and it just compounded all of the guilt over what he had done to Danny.

It had taken the cousins some time to get Charlie to understand that they were not angry with him any longer, and that they didn't hold any of what had happened against him. They also reiterated that Steve and Danny would both feel the same way, once they found out what had been going on with him.

The paramedics came into the bullpen area, and while they were loading Charlie onto the gurney, Chin looked sadly at his cousin. "I can't even imagine what he's feeling or thinking, Kono. I do know that the hell that you create in your own mind is a hundred times worse than reality. So until Charlie can make sense of everything that has happened to him on his own terms, there's not much any of us are going to be able to say that is going to take that guilt away. Hopefully, Danny and Steve will get a chance to see him – maybe one of them can get through to him?"

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	14. Chapter 14

_A/N: Thanks for all of the reviews...they mean the world to me. _

_I don't own anything related to Hawaii Five-0 or CBS. No copyright infringement intended._

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Danny had a relatively restful night, thanks to the wonders of modern medicine. He awoke in the morning to the sight of his partner staring out the window of his hospital room. "What are you thinking about so hard, Steve?"

Danny's voice was gravelly from lack of use, and he swallowed roughly. Steve was right there with a couple of ice chips, which helped tremendously. Steve sat down and shook his head. "I'm just thinking about Charlie. Chin and Kono brought him here last night."

Steve blew out a breath, not wanting to accept what he had learned. "Danny, he has a brain tumor. It's in an area that controls emotions and personality, which explains so much. They want him to have surgery, but he's refused up to this point. It's not cancerous, but will eventually kill him if he doesn't do anything about it."

Danny felt like he'd been sucker punched. _A brain tumor? Charlie?_ It answered so many questions, but left him with a whole lot more in their place.

"This is going to be the stupidest question known to man, but is he okay?" Danny looked really worried. Charlie had been a good friend, and he _knew_ that something wasn't right – and he hated that he was going through this.

Steve shook his head. "Kono said that he's feeling really guilty about everything that happened, and is struggling physically as well."

Danny immediately tried to sit up, but was stopped by a hand on his shoulder. "Whoa, Danny. Hold up – you're not going anywhere just yet."

Danny tried to grab Steve's arm and move it off of him, but Steve was determined to help him stay put. "I need to see him, Steve. I have to tell him...If he's feeling guilty, I need to tell him that there's no need." The effort of talking made Danny cough, and he weakly grabbed at his ribs.

"See, Danny? See that right there…that's why you're not going anywhere. I'll go down and see him later, okay? And if there's any way to get him up here, I'll make it happen. I promise, man. I promise." Steve made sure that he looked Danny in the eyes, so that Danny would see the truth in his words.

Danny finally stood down, and relaxed back against the pillows and took a sip of the water that Steve held out for him. "Just…please tell him, Steve. Don't let him spend one more minute feeling guilty. I'll heal – it takes more than that to knock me down for long. But…God, it's Charlie, you know? Fuck…I can't even believe this."

A light knock on the door stopped their conversation. The attending physician was rounding and wanted to see how Danny was doing. "Steve…go see him, please? They'll be bugging me for a while, and then after you get back, maybe you could call Rachel? I just really need to see Grace right now, you know?"

Steve nodded. He did know. Life was short, and Danny was emotionally reeling after everything that had happened over the past few weeks. "I'll be back in a bit, okay? Stay out of trouble while I'm gone, yeah?"

Danny rolled his eyes and shifted so that he was more comfortable…as comfortable as he could be with a tube in a place it didn't belong, that is. That would be first on his demand list from the doc – taking the damn catheter out.

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Steve stepped off of the elevator onto the Neuro floor, and made his way to the end of the hall where Charlie was resting. They had him on a regimen of medications that were keeping him calm, but he wasn't so snowed that he couldn't function.

Kono had said that all in all, things were rough for him, and Steve knew that he needed to step up. He'd dealt with soldiers who suffered from PTSD, and the one thing he knew was that they didn't choose their reactions to things that triggered a response. It would be hypocritical of him to blame Charlie, since he didn't choose the way he acted either – the brain tumor did.

He poked his head into the room, and saw Chin seated in the chair, and Kono on the edge of the bed. Charlie appeared to be resting, and Steve got a good look at just how ill he looked. He never actually saw Charlie yesterday – he was so focused on getting Danny to the hospital. But this was worse than he thought.

He quietly walked inside and around to Kono's side. He lightly squeezed her shoulders in a hug. He could see that she was struggling. She had never dated Charlie, but the two had become fairly good friends over the years. They acted very much like siblings did.

Charlie felt the gentle dip in the mattress and slowly opened his eyes. The heart rate monitor increased as he noticed who was in the room. It didn't matter what Chin and Kono had repeatedly told him – he wouldn't be surprised if Steve were here to punish him for what he had done to Danny. "Steve, I…"

Steve held up one hand. "Charlie, please don't. Before I say anything else, hear this, okay? Danny doesn't blame you. I'm not going to lie. At first, I was beyond pissed that you had done this. But we know about the tumor and the problems it's caused you. I swear to you that I don't blame you, either. We just want you to do whatever you have to do in order to get well, okay? You're not alone any longer."

Charlie broke down, and as Kono stood up, Steve sat down in her place. He immediately wrapped the younger man in a hug, feeling the shudders roll through him. He couldn't begin to imagine the isolation he must have felt for the past few months, but he knew that it was over now. The team would step up and make sure that he had support from here on out.

After a few minutes, Steve was able to sit back. He waited while Charlie composed himself, before asking, "How's Danny?"

Steve smiled and shrugged one shoulder. "He's banged up, but he will be fine."

Charlie shook his head. "No, Steve. I mean specifics…what did I do to Danny?"

Steve debated telling Charlie the truth, but knew if he were on the other end he'd want to know. "A couple of cracked ribs. A pneumo, with a chest tube which will probably come out tomorrow sometime. A bruised kidney, which is resolving. Nothing internal, though. No concussion. His sight is slowly returning, which it was starting to do after you took him. Charlie, he's going to be okay."

Charlie nodded, but it didn't help the remorse he felt. Maybe after he saw Danny for himself? But for right now, Charlie felt like the worst human being in the world.

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Kono had spoken with Charlie's doctor, and provided he stayed stable, could go and see Danny later in the afternoon. They were going to take him for an MRI to create a more accurate 3-D image of his brain, which would help map the exact location and specifications of the tumor.

Once they had that information, they would be able to plan the surgery more effectively. They wanted him to rest following the MRI because most likely, they would need to sedate him for the procedure. They couldn't risk him getting agitated during the scan, and needed to cover their bases.

Steve was on his way back to Danny's room to let him know, and texted Rachel to bring Grace. Happy to get the okay from her, he realized that right now, Danny's daughter would be the best medicine for him.

When he poked his head into the room, he was happy to note that Danny looked much better than he had before. They had cleaned him up a little, which had to feel good after being knocked around like he had been.

Danny stirred as he heard Steve's footsteps. Tiredly, he met his partner's gaze. "Hey. How's Charlie?"

Steve shook his head. "Hang on a second. How are you? What did the doc say?"

Danny rolled his eyes. "They'll do X-Rays again in the morning, and if things look okay, they may try to pull the chest tube. They pulled the catheter – they still want to keep an eye on things because of the kidney bruising, but they said rest is the best thing. They'll monitor and do something if they need to, but things have been clear for the last few hours now...no more blood. The rest of the bruises will heal over time – yeah, they hurt like a bitch, but they _will_ go away eventually. Now…how's Charlie?"

Steve grinned – he was happy to see that Danny had a bit more fire than he had earlier. "They're going to do an MRI to get a better picture of his brain. From there, they'll map out the surgery, and if he stays stable, will schedule him in the next day or two. The doc cleared him to come up here and visit, if you're up for that."

Danny looked offended for a second. "Hell yes, I'm up for that! What kind of man do you think I am, Steven? It's not Charlie's fault. He didn't ask for this to happen to him – and I know he didn't mean for this to happen to me." Danny sank back against the pillow. Apparently, even a mini-rant was a bit too much, too soon.

He glanced at Steve and noticed the smirk on his face. "Are you finished? Because what I meant was, if you weren't too wiped out from Grace's visit, he would come and visit. If not, he'll come tomorrow, as long as things are stable with his behavior and pain levels.

Danny looked chagrined – he knew Steve wouldn't judge him for his outburst, but one of the things he had learned over the years was the once in a while, morphine knocked his emotions for a loop. Apparently, this was one of those times. "Sorry, man."

Steve just shook it off. "No worries. I texted Rachel earlier, and Grace should be here within the hour. Do you want to rest for a bit before she comes?"

Danny scrunched his eyebrows. "Yeah...probably a good idea." He pressed the button on the PCA pump they had installed. He wasn't a fan of any pain medication, but the doctor had done a lot of poking and prodding, and he was feeling every one of those pokes.

He settled back against the pillows as he felt the pain medication roll through his veins. Danny shut his eyes, ostensibly for just a few minutes, but was completely surprised to hear Grace's voice whispering to Steve.

"But how much longer will he be asleep? I just want to see him and know that he's okay." Grace's mood was subdued - she had been through just as much as Danny had, if not more, given that she was just a little girl.

"Hey, Monkey." Danny's voice was rough with sleep but he quickly woke up more as he saw the beaming expression on her face. He decided to let her in on his whole 'sight is returning' news and only hoped her reaction didn't harm any other patients. She had volume to spare, sometimes.

"You look so pretty in that dress, baby girl. What do they call that color? Raspberry? What happened to good old fashioned pink, huh?"

"Danno? You can...can you...see me?" She suddenly crumpled in tears as she realized that her dad was no longer lost to her. It had never mattered to her that Danny couldn't see - but she knew how much it had hurt _him_, and she was so happy that he didn't have to be sad any more.

Steve must have talked to her before she had come in, because rather than run to Danny, she carefully climbed up onto the bed. She was mindful of the tubes and wires tethering Danny to the variety of equipment in the room, but managed to maneuver herself up against his good side.

Grace's reaction wasn't quite what Danny had expected - but rather than question it, he just went with the flow and wrapped one arm around her trembling form.

She relished the feel of her dad hugging her close, and stroking her hair. There were certain feelings that she always associated with safety and security, and her dad hugging her was at the top of the list.

It took her a few minutes to calm down, but once she was able to talk, her focus turned back to Danny and his injuries.

"Are you feeling better, Danno? I made you a card." She showed him the picture she had fashioned into a card and smiled as he fawned all over it. He handed it to Steve to put on the window sill so that he could see it.

"Now that you're here, of course I'm feeling better." He smiled tiredly as Grace still looked a little concerned.

"What about the bad man who hurt you? Is he in jail?" Grace wasn't as scared as she had been earlier, but she wasn't sure if she had to worry about him coming after Danny again.

"Well, Grace...it's kind of hard to explain. Let me ask you something. Do you know what a tumor is?"

Grace nodded. "We learned a little bit in science class, but I don't know very much."

Danny smiled. "That's okay - you're still a pretty smart kid. Anyway, a tumor is a little thing that grows in a spot where it doesn't belong. Well, the man that took me didn't really know what he was doing. He has a tumor in his brain, and it makes him not remember things, and makes him not act like himself. So yeah, he took me, but he really wasn't to blame. I'm not mad at him. Uncle Steve's not mad at him. I don't want you to be mad at him, either."

Danny was struggling with telling her that it was Charlie who had taken him. Grace had met him a few times, and he didn't want her to have a colored view of the young man, no matter how forgiving she could be.

"But Danno...this looks like it hurts a lot." She traced her fingers along the bruising on his jaw and upper chest where she could see the discoloration just underneath the gown. She wasn't totally convinced yet, but if her dad said that he wasn't mad at the man, then she guessed she could be like that, too.

Danny knew that his daughter could tell when he was lying, so he was honest with her. "I'm not going to lie, babe. I have moments where it hurts quite a bit, but I'm taking the medicine and the doctors say I'm going to be just fine. This tube..." He pointed to the chest tube hanging off of the side of the bed. "...probably gets to come out tomorrow. They're saying that if everything stays good and I keep feeling better, they'll probably let me go home the day after that. And then, if I'm not mistaken, we have a weekend of fun to make up for, right? I think there were sand toys involved? And don't quote me on this, but I think Super Seal mentioned something about Sand City being built? Who knows what kinds of damage he will cause."

Grace's giggle was like a needle popping a tension-filled balloon. It was what they all needed to force themselves to let go of a little of the fear and anxiety that had plagued all of them over the last twenty-four hours. Were things miraculously better? No, but for right now, all was right with the world.

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	15. Chapter 15

_A/N: Thank you again for all of the reviews, whether they are signed or not. I appreciate you taking the time to let me know what you think._

_I don't own anything related to Hawaii Five-0 or CBS. No copyright infringement intended._

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True to Danny's word, Grace was relieved to see that when she came back to visit Danny the next day, the chest tube was gone. He was sitting in the chair next to the window, and while he looked a little better, she was worried about why he had tubing underneath his nose.

Steve noticed her standing there and motioned for her to come all the way in. He waved at Rachel as she motioned that she would call when she was on her way to pick Grace back up.

"Hey, Gracie. Doesn't Danny look better without all of his attachments?" Steve was trying for levity, but Grace just wasn't buying it yet.

"Why does he have the tube under his nose? I thought he was getting better."

Danny curled his fingers at his daughter, asking her to come closer. "I am, Monkey. But since this was the first time I got out of bed since I got here, and it was the first time my lung had to prove it was healing, they wanted me to have some extra oxygen. It doesn't mean I'm worse - it just is something they wanted me to use for a little bit while I was in the chair. I can take it off once I get back in bed, I promise."

Grace nodded, still not convinced. She was so sure, after what her dad had told her yesterday, that he would be better today. And now he wasn't, and the anger bubbling up from her tummy made her want to throw something at someone. She wasn't expecting to be mad, which confused her and upset her balance even further.

Danny could see that something was wrong, and decided to see if he could get to the bottom of things. "Hey, Steve? I'm not sure if the nurse would go for it, but would you go and ask if there is any way my daughter - and I guess you, since you're my shadow these days - could accompany me to the courtyard? I'm feeling like some sunshine and quiet would be good right about now."

Steve could see that Danny was worried about Grace, so he stood and nodded. "I'll see if I can't convince them to spring you for a half an hour or so. And Danny...shadow? Really? The sooner you realize that you're my best friend and aren't going to get rid of me, the better off you'll be." He winked at Grace as he walked out to find the nurse.

"Come here, babe." Danny patted the sleep chair and scooted so that she had some room to climb up. "Hey, sweetheart? I need you to be honest with me, okay?"

Grace carefully climbed up so that she was curled into Danny's good side. She nodded and rested her cheek on his chest.

"Can you tell me what's going on? Are you worried about something still?" Danny's voice was gentle, getting the sense that Grace could spook easily if he wasn't careful.

She shrugged one shoulder, but Danny waited her out. Before too long, he heard her whisper, "I thought you were better. And you're not. It makes me mad."

Danny tried to make sense of her thoughts, but wasn't sure where she was going. "What do you mean, I'm not better? Sweetheart, I am getting better. I'm probably going home tomorrow. Your mom said that you and I could have three whole days together at Uncle Steve's house once I go home. So babe, I'm getting better. I'm not sure what made you think I wasn't?"

Grace felt a tear roll down her cheek. "I just...I thought that after I saw you yesterday and you said that you were better...I thought I would see you and you would look like you. But you have the tubes, and the medicine in your arms and all of that stuff...it just doesn't look like you're better. I don't like it, Danno. I just want you to come home."

At that point, she was done. All of her worries came pouring out in the form of tears, and all Danny could do was hold her close.

Steve came back into the room with a wheelchair, Danny's nurse, and an orderly in tow, and immediately looked worried at the way Grace had melted down. Danny just shook his head, signaling that he would explain more later.

Steve nodded and knelt down next to Danny. "Good news...the warden has authorized a short jail break. You get thirty minutes, and then you have to be back. These fine folks will help you get settled into this lovely vehicle and then we can head out."

Danny smiled gratefully. "Hey, Monkey. Can you go with Uncle Steve for a second? It's still a little awkward getting me out of the chair, and I really don't want to embarrass myself."

Steve reached for Grace, glad to see that she went willingly into his arms. She immediately rested her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes.

Steve wasn't sure what happened, but something had upset Grace. He did the only thing he could - he held her close and swayed from side to side. He wasn't sure, but he wondered if it was just a little of everything that had tipped Grace over the edge?

Danny was able to help quite a bit as they got him settled into the wheelchair. He hated using them, but understood that he was in no shape to go traipsing around the hospital. If he promised not to exert himself, they were willing to let him go outside without the oxygen, but wanted to check his sats as soon as he got back.

Once he was seated, he reached his arms back out to Steve, imploring him to put Grace on his lap. Steve quickly made the transfer, and after clarifying Danny's instructions, they were headed for the elevator.

"What do you say, Gracie? Should we see just how fast this baby can go?" Steve made like he was going to start running with the wheelchair, and Danny relaxed as he saw her grin.

"Seriously? You Neanderthal! How many times to I have to tell you that you do _not_ get to drive like a maniac with my daughter on board?" Danny was playing it up for the sake of his daughter.

Steve chuckled as they boarded the elevator for the short ride downstairs.

Danny continued his ranting for a few moments before Steve interrupted him."You know...I hear you, Danny - but it kind of sounds like 'blah, blah, blah'. There's only one way around this dilemma." The elevator doors dinged as they opened to the hallway facing the courtyard. "We let Grace decide."

Steve winked at her as she peered up at him. "Book it, Uncle Steve."

Laughing, Steve took off on a slow jog, and Danny just shook his head. Some days, he really wondered just who was the adult.

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Charlie came awake with a gasp, unsure of where he was. As he looked around the sterile room, he eventually locked eyes with Kono, who was smiling softly at him. "Hey, Charlie. How are you feeling?"

Charlie shook his head. Things were still pretty fuzzy.

Kono sat on the edge of the bed. "You're back from your MRI. Remember, they had to do a second one?" She wasn't sure whether Charlie remembered the panic attack that had taken hold while he was in the middle of the first test yesterday. It had taken a fair amount of sedation to calm him down, and they had decided to fully sedate him for this morning's test, just in case.

"...don't remember." Charlie hated the feeling of the drugs - but knew that without them, he would be a danger to everyone around him.

"No worries, brah. Everything is going to be okay. They got a clear picture of things, and they will be scheduling you for surgery in the next day or two. You're going to be okay, Charlie - I really believe that."

Charlie was waking up more, and the sense of despondency was back in full force. "I'm glad you believe it - I'm not so sure. But no matter what, I just want this over with."

Kono reached over and squeezed his hand. "I know, Charlie. I'm not an expert, but I do know that you need to try to stay positive. Just remember...you're not alone in this any more."

Charlie couldn't understand why she was being so nice to him. He had tortured one of her best friends - why would she just sit there like nothing had happened?

"Are you feeling up for a little trip? The nurse said that if you felt up to it, we could go for a little walk around the courtyard...maybe get a little fresh air?" Kono knew that Steve, Danny, and Grace were down there - Steve had texted her to find out how Charlie's scan went this time.

She also was 'informed' by Danny that she needed to get Charlie down there, no matter what. After the panic attack, Charlie wasn't able to go and see Danny yesterday, and Danny was anxious to talk to him face to face - he really felt like he needed to try to absolve him of the guilt he was feeling.

"I don't know, Kono…what if…what if I freak out? I don't want to hurt you or anyone else."

Kono just smiled, not wanting Charlie to worry about anything. "It'll be all right, I promise. The meds you're on are keeping things much more even-keel, right? We'll only be gone for a little while, and I give you my word – if you start to feel anxious or upset at all, we'll come right back up here. Okay? I really think this trip will do you some good."

After a few moments of his thoughts waging a war, Charlie finally nodded. He really would like to be outside for a few minutes – the air inside the hospital was stifling – it made it feel like the walls were closing in.

Kono got some last-minute instructions from Charlie's nurse, and once he was unhooked from his IV, they were on their way towards the elevator. Kono looped her arm through Charlie's elbow – wanting to be near him almost as much as he needed the closeness from her.

They made small talk as they rode the elevator down to the first floor, and even as they wandered the hallway to the courtyard door.

The door opened with a 'whoosh' and Charlie froze in his tracks as he saw Steve sitting on a concrete bench and Danny in the wheelchair beside him. He turned to Kono in a panic.

"Kono, no. I can't do this. What if…I can't…I did that to him, Kono. He's in the fucking chair because of me." Charlie's eyes filled as he saw Grace run up to Danny and hug him gently.

Steve saw them standing in the doorway and immediately recognized the 'fight or flight' look in Charlie's eyes. Whispering to Danny, he jumped up and jogged over to the pair.

"Hey, Charlie. It's good to see you up and around. Come on over." Steve flung an arm over his shoulders, feeling him stiffen at the touch.

Steve stopped, wanting to give Charlie time to decide for himself. "He wants to see you, Charlie. He holds no grudges, I promise. None of us do." Steve knew that he could tell Charlie that every day, but until he believed it for himself, nothing would ever change.

After a few deep breaths, Charlie slowly allowed himself to be led over to the bench. He couldn't make eye contact with Danny, but did sit down next to him. He immediately dropped his gaze to the concrete beneath his feet.

After a few moments of awkward silence, he heard giggling, and couldn't help but look. He smiled softly as he watched Steve sling Grace over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes and spin her around – her laughter seemed to break the ice, and Charlie tentatively looked towards Danny.

He was surprised to see him watching him, and his eyes filled. "Danny…I'm so…"

Danny held up his hand. "For the love of God, Charlie – please don't apologize. There's nothing to apologize for. You weren't you. There's nothing to forgive you for, but if you need to hear me say it, then I do forgive you.I understand the guilt, man – I really do. But please believe me – there's nothing to feel guilty for. I will heal. I will be fine."

Charlie shook his head. "I swear, I didn't know you were blind. It kills me that I hurt you like that. I would rather die than ever do something like that again. But…your daughter, Danny. I could have taken you away from her."

Danny's hand was gentle on Charlie's arm. "I know you didn't know – honestly, it probably would have been worse if you had known. But deep down, I knew something was wrong – you weren't yourself at all. I need you to know that there are no 'could haves' in this, Charlie. You didn't…and that's all I need to know here. I will be fine. My daughter is fine. You're going to be fine, too."

With those words, Charlie could not stop the tears from rolling down his cheeks. He still had a long way to go to forgive himself for what he had done to Danny, but knowing that Danny had forgiven him? It was a start.

Danny's smile was kind as he held one arm out. "Come here, man. It's going to be okay." He carefully pulled Charlie into a bit of an awkward hug, knowing that his friend was hurting. He could see Kono wiping at her eyes and knew that she was struggling as well.

"No more guilt, Charlie. No more. It's done now, okay? You just focus on getting through the surgery – that's how you can repay me, all right? You get through the surgery, and the first round is on you. That's your penance…think you can handle that?"

Charlie chuckled weakly and wiped at his eyes. "Sure, Danny. First round's on me."

Danny felt a small hand rest on his leg and turned to see Grace staring up at them with a smile on her face. Her cheeks were flushed, thanks to her human jungle gym named Uncle Steve. "Hi Charlie! Did you come to visit my dad?" Grace had met Charlie quite a few times, and while he hadn't achieved 'Uncle' status like Chin and Steve, he was someone that held no fear in her eyes.

"Uh…yeah…but I'm also a patient here. I have to have an operation in a couple of days." Charlie wasn't sure what they had told Grace, so he just tried to leave it generic.

"I'll make you a picture to help you feel better, okay?" Grace was beaming up at him, and he couldn't help but smile.

"That would be awesome, Grace. I would love that." He suddenly was exhausted, as the weight of everything he had done started to lift with the team's forgiveness.

Kono and Steve could see the shift, and they started rounding everyone up. "Hey, Danny. I don't want the wrath of the warden on me if we get you back to your room late, so we probably ought to start back, huh?"

Danny could also see the dark circles painted underneath Charlie's eyes and nodded. His own head was starting to hurt, so he was honest with his reply. "Yeah, I think I'm about done for a while. Charlie? Are you ready to head back too?"

Charlie nodded and allowed Kono to pull him up. He smiled as Grace stepped behind Danny's wheelchair and groaned out loud as she tried to start pushing. "Danno…no more malasadas for a while, okay? At least until I get taller. You're too heavy!"

She squealed as Steve caught her up and plopped her carefully in Danny's lap. "Too heavy, huh? I guess if I don't get malasadas, then you don't either. Still want to keep that order?"

Grace giggled. "No! Maybe just not so many malasadas, then?"

Danny poked her in the ribs, mindful of her flailing elbows. "Okay…only four at a time. Does that work for you, Miss Bossypants?"

Grace leaned up and kissed his cheek and grinned. "Works for me, Danno."

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	16. Chapter 16

_A/N: Thanks so much for all of the reviews - I'm glad that you're liking this story. I'm truly sorry for the delay in posting. The past two weeks have been bumpy, between the end of the teaching year (and having to move to a new classroom after 10 years in my old packrat classroom); dealing with more migraine issues and trying to find a new med that works, and finally forcing myself through some icky dentist stuff of the root canal/somewhat painful crown/major phobia kind. _

_I don't own anything related to Hawaii Five-0 or CBS. No copyright infringement is intended._

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On their way back to their rooms, Chin texted and said that he'd be by in a little while to sit with Kono and Charlie. Kono was adamant that Charlie would not be alone, and Chin respected her decision. Adam was out of town, and she had talked to him about everything, wanting his understanding as well.

It was a testament to the kind of man he was – not only did he appreciate her being there for her friend, he also offered any assistance that might be necessary following Charlie's surgery, whether it be home health care, or anything else he might need, financially or otherwise.

Knowing that Kono and Charlie were in good hands, Steve got Danny back to his room. While Grace settled onto the small couch with her iPod, Danny's nurse arrived to help him back to bed.

Palani wasn't thrilled that Danny had overdone it, but he had gotten enough back story to understand why Danny had pushed himself. He helped Danny transfer from the chair to the bed, and once he was relatively comfortable, placed the pulse oximeter onto his finger, and the blood pressure cuff onto his arm.

He scowled at the elevated heart rate and blood pressure, but was somewhat satisfied with his oxygen results. The doctors wanted him at 94% or higher, and Danny came in right at 94% having been off the oxygen for the greater part of 30 minutes.

"So how bad is the pain in your head right now?" Palani didn't pull any punches, which was why Danny liked him and mostly told him the truth.

"It's about a seven…but before you yell at me, I needed the time with my daughter, and I needed to talk to Charlie. He was blaming himself, and there wasn't anything he could have done differently. He needed to know that." Danny kept his voice low, not wanting Grace to hear that Charlie was involved, and was glad to see Steve distracting her.

Palani nodded his understanding, and just out of principle, added another point to the pain scale because it was Danny and Danny wasn't always honest with him. "Okay, but you're back in my care now, so no arguments. We're going to get some pain medication on board. You're going to try to eat a little something. And then you're going to rest – uninterrupted – for at least an hour. Got it?"

Danny sank back against the pillow, suddenly wiped out. This headache was centered more over his eyes, which could partially be related to eye strain. Now that his vision was returning, it wasn't completely clear, so he found himself squinting more often. The problem was, the pain, after overdoing it a bit outside, was quickly ramping up and was starting to make him nauseous - and he was really afraid that it would turn into an actual migraine if he wasn't careful.

He had only had one of those in his recovery, and it was one too many. The nausea, dizziness, and numbness in his face and head were just about too much.

The opthalmologist on staff had been pleased with the vision resolution so far, and had said that over the course of the next few weeks, Danny should expect things to fully return to normal. It was the next few weeks, though, that could give him problems as his eyes and brain struggled to readjust to sight once again.

The best they could offer were pain medications, although Danny tended to refuse them, not liking how groggy they made him. During this hospital admission, they were trying a different class of medicine that was prescription in strength, but more suited for long-term use. It had much less addictive properties (not that it was a concern for Danny), and gave better relief to where Danny could function a little more appropriately during the daytime.

Without preamble, Palani dumped the medication into Danny's IV port and brought him a few graham crackers with some peanut butter. He also brought Danny a carton of chocolate milk, sneaking one to Grace as well.

Rachel had texted Steve that she was on her way to Danny's room, which would give Danny his hour of rest once Grace had to leave. Until she got there, however, both father and daughter enjoyed their snack, cuddled together on the bed.

After one last hug from Grace, she and Rachel headed back home, leaving Danny in his formerly hidden misery. As soon as the room was clear, Steve rushed to find Palani, who immediately went for a different medication, as the one he had given him hadn't done anything to quell the stabbing pain.

Steve grabbed a cold cloth and draped it over Danny's forehead and dimmed the lights, knowing based on his symptoms that his eyes were really sensitive right now. He kept one hand firmly planted on Danny's shoulder, hoping it provided some comfort.

Danny turned onto his side and groaned as his stomach rolled uncontrollably - he just knew that he was going to be sick. Palani hadn't gotten back with the medications just yet, and without warning, Danny found himself gagging weakly into the small trash can Steve had kicked alongside the bed.

"Fuck, Steve." Danny had started shaking from the effects of his ordeal, and just wanted it all to stop.

"I know, Danny. Just hang in there." Steve kept one eye on his friend, and one eye on the doorway, hoping against hope that Palani would get here soon.

Before too long, Palani was by Danny's side, and was cleaning off the IV port. "Here you go, Danny. Just a couple more minutes and you'll be feeling better." He dumped the stronger pain medication along with an anti-emetic into the IV and waited until it started to work before stepping back out into the hallway, giving Danny the space he needed to rest without an audience.

Danny sank weakly against the pillows - the pain was starting to recede, and now he was just spent. As he closed his eyes, he felt Steve wiping the clamminess from his forehead and the back of his neck. "You're okay, Danny. Just rest."

With that, he let the medication take him away to a place where he felt no pain, and where the darkness was peaceful and soothing.

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Danny woke up two hours later feeling like he was hung over. He was a little groggy still, but the pain was basically gone. He turned to his right and saw Steve sitting in the chair working on his iPad. "Hey."

Steve whipped his head up so fast it was almost comical. "Danny? Hey...how you feeling?"

Danny pushed himself to sit up a little higher. "Better...I think."

Steve handed him the remote so that he could raise the bed a little higher without struggling. Once Danny was comfortable, Steve handed him the small glass of ice water that was on the table.

Danny sipped carefully, not wanting a repeat of the chocolate milk from earlier. Setting it back on the table, he sighed and rubbed at his eyes. "So how much did this all set me back? How much longer do I have to stay now?" Danny was trying not to be dejected, but he was failing miserably.

Steve smiled at his best friend. "Actually, it didn't. The docs said that this would be a good lesson in just how much you could push yourself, but now that you know, you can take it just as easy at home. The plan is still to get you out of here tomorrow."

Danny blinked furiously to get the moisture from his eyes as he realized that he still got to go home. He was really afraid that his adventure would set him back. "Really? Tomorrow, for sure?"

Steve nodded. "Yep...doc says probably after lunch. That'll give us time to get you settled, and then if you're up for it, we can have a barbecue with everybody over. If you want to wait a day or two, that's fine, too."

Danny breathed out a sigh of relief. _Maybe this would soon be behind him?_

The rest of the afternoon and evening were spent quietly, as Danny still felt a bit wiped out from the medications. Chin and Kono had come down as soon as Charlie fell asleep. They had sedated him, wanting him to get some good rest. Tomorrow would be a final day of testing for him, and if all went well, his surgery would be scheduled for the following day.

Danny was thrilled that Shari had stopped by. Apparently she had bumped into Steve in the elevator, and he shared a little about what had happened with Danny. She was genuinely happy for him - she liked Danny and wanted good things for him.

She had even asked if he'd be willing to come and talk to patients if she needed him to - he had a unique perspective of being suddenly thrust into the world of the sightless, and could perhaps offer advice to others in the same situation. He told her he'd get back to her on that - he wasn't sure he was the best one to give advice, remembering his own negative attitude during his recovery.

As Danny drifted off to sleep for the night, he felt blessed to have made it through everything as well as he had. His friends had rallied behind him, and he knew that there was no way he could ever repay them - not that they expected him to.

His daughter was handling things as well as she could - and at least was willing to talk to her family whenever she was upset or had questions. She wasn't bottling things up, and for that, Danny was grateful.

The nursing staff, as well as the therapy staff, had gone out of their way to treat him like he was going to get better - they never let him doubt that or wallow in pity, and kicked his butt with kindness whenever he needed them too.

He never thought he would have been able to say that he'd been fortunate to have gone through what he had, but it had showed him just how lucky he really was. He had family and friends who never let him give up as well as a daughter who meant the world to him. The pain from the bruises would fade...his eyesight would return. All of the physical ailments that went along with his first injury as well as his bonus round were fading in the distance, and tomorrow was a new day - a new start, as it was.

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Danny felt like a kid at Christmas as he opened his eyes to the morning light. _He got to go home today!_ He was almost more excited for this trip home, as he knew what he had been missing. The first time, after he was blinded, he was still so unsure of everything and how he was going to manage, that he really didn't take time to enjoy things.

This time, he vowed to appreciate each and every day - be more positive, as it were.

He grinned as Palani poked his head into the room. It was his second of three days on his shift, and Danny was glad that he would be the one to kick him out of here. "Hey, man."

Palani was glad to see Danny feeling better. "Hey, Danny. I've got some of your discharge paperwork here - it'll still be after lunch before you get sprung from here, but we can do this a little at a time, okay?"

Danny nodded and cleared a space on the table. "Sounds good. Do your worst."

Palani went over a few of the basic instructions and what to look out for. If there was an excessive amount of blood in his urine - return immediately. If the pain became unbearable - return immediately. Any drastic change in his vision for the worse - return immediately.

They were sending him home on pain medication and anti-inflammatories - they wanted to try to keep things calmed down, so to speak. He'd heard it all before - control the pain...don't let the pain control you. The headaches were the unknown variable though - Danny never knew what would trigger one, and they were unpredictable at best.

He still had to get cleared by the opthalmologist before he would be released, but she was supposed to show up in the next couple of hours. All of his scans were now within normal limits, and they were all pretty comfortable in getting him out of here.

Steve had gone home for a couple of hours to stock the kitchen with food, and to air out the guest room. He also wanted to straighten up Mary's old room, since Grace would be staying with them for the weekend.

By the time he got back, Danny had been cleared and was just waiting on the prescriptions to be filled. He had chosen to use the hospital pharmacy rather than stop on the way home - he just wanted to get out of here. Steve had taken Danny's bags to the truck and was sitting on the edge of the bed, just as antsy as Danny was.

Palani finally came into the room, and Steve and Danny _both_ just about took his head off. "All right. Sit. Both of you." The Hawaiian nurse nearly laughed as they both complied without complaint.

"Okay. Danny, we've been over everything. Now did you tell Steve everything, or do you want me to go over it with him, too?" Palani just stared at Danny, daring him to lie.

Danny shook his head. "Nope - he saw the paperwork himself. Nothing hidden...I promise."

Looking to Steve to verify, Palani just grinned when Steve nodded his head. He wouldn't have put it past Danny to try to sneak some restriction or another past Steve, but it was clear that Danny was playing by the rules this time.

"Good. Now. Here are your prescriptions - don't be a tough guy, Danny. If your head hurts, take the damned medication. Make sure you follow up in two days with the opthalmologist, and four with the neurologist. If there are no other questions, once I get your signature on your discharge paperwork, we'll get the wheelchair and you are out of here."

Palani waited while Danny scratched his signature where indicated, and then headed into the hallway to find a wheelchair.

Steve just smiled as he watche Danny fidget - his knee never stopped bouncing up and down the entire time Palani was searching for a chair. Fortunately, it didn't take long before Danny was seated in the chair and was headed down the hallway towards the elevators.

"Hey...can we make a quick stop, first? I want to see Charlie before I get out of here."

Palani knew that his other patients were covered for a few minutes, and hit the 'up' button on the elevator to the Neurology floor. As the door dinged, Palani wheeled Danny into the hallway and followed Steve as he took the short path to Charlie's room.

Peeking into the room, he was happy to see Charlie sitting up in bed, looking fairly comfortable. He and Kono were laughing at something, while Chin just shook his head in response to whatever had them cracking up.

Steve knocked lightly on the doorway and came into the room. "Hey, guys."

Kono hopped up and ran to hug Danny, while Steve leaned over and shook Charlie's hand before moving Danny closer to Charlie's side.

"Hey, man. How are you doing?" Danny leaned forward with his elbows on his knees, genuinely concerned for his friend.

Charlie shrugged his shoulder. "I'm...I don't know...surgery's tomorrow, I guess." Everyone in the room could see that he was nervous about the procedure. Who could blame him?

Steve stepped up. "One of us will be hanging out with Danny at home, but the rest will be here for you. If there's anything you need, Charlie, I wasn't kidding. We are not letting you go through this alone - you're _ohana_, which means you're with us...not alone."

Charlie wiped at his eyes. After going through all of this shit on his own, he was having a hard time understanding and accepting that they were willing to be there for him - that they _wanted_ to be there for him. It was going to take some getting used to, and he wasn't sure he had it in him to fully trust just yet.

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	17. Chapter 17

_A/N: Things were cruising along quite nicely, and then I found myself stuck a bit. I'm not sure what it was, but the muse did not want to cooperate at all. Frankly, she's kind of on my nerves right now, dang it. Hopefully she'll settle the heck down. _

_I just wanted to say thank you to those who are reading and replying - I appreciate reading what you have to say._

_I don't own anything related to Hawaii Five-0 or CBS - No copyright infringement intended._

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Steve tried not to smirk as he watched Danny out of the corner of his eye. Driving home, Danny had the window down and his head practically hanging out, absorbing the breeze as it hit his face.

He only lasted a few minutes, though, before the scenery whipping past started to make him dizzy. Reluctantly, he sat back against the seat and closed his eyes.

"Too much? I'm not even driving like a maniac this time." Steve looked like he was serious, but grinned at Danny's reply.

"Shut up." Danny was smiling, though, as he waited for the world to stop spinning. He would take this 'merry-go-round' feeling all day if it meant he was on his way home.

Steve did slow down just a bit, as he really didn't want Danny to puke in the truck.

Before too long, he was pulling into the driveway and had barely parked before Danny was climbing out.

"Danny, hold up. Just wait a minute, okay?" Steve knew that Danny could make it, but he wanted to be there to help, just in case.

Danny did slow enough for Steve to reach his side, although he was not about to accept help. Not this time. This time, he was coming home under his own full power - and nothing was going to get in his way.

Steve opened the door and shut off the alarm system, motioning for Danny to follow him into the house. He set Danny's bag down at the foot of the stairs and guided Danny into the living room, where he sank gratefully into the corner of the couch.

"Aww, man. Feels good to be still for a bit." Danny shut his eyes, willing the room to stop its tilting.

Steve tossed a throw over Danny's legs. "Why don't you rest for a few minutes - Grace isn't coming for a couple of hours, and the rest of the gang will be here around dinnertime."

Danny nodded, already half asleep. He felt Steve reach for his feet to lift them onto the couch, and he tried to help as much as he could to get himself horizontal, mindful of his broken ribs.

Soon, the comfort of the couch and the background noise of Steve puttering around the house were too much. He was safe in the knowledge that he was home now - even if he wasn't at his actual home. He knew that Steve wouldn't let anything happen to him, and that confidence pulled him into a light sleep.

All told, he dozed for about 45 minutes before fighting himself awake. His body was screaming for rest, but his brain was too wired. He knew that Grace would be here in an hour or so, and he wanted to get cleaned up before she got here.

He slowly maneuvered himself into an upright position, and sat on the edge of the couch for a few minutes, catching his breath. One thing Palani had cautioned him about was assuming that he was fully healed - many times, patients thought that since they were released, they were back to full strength. Given Danny's injuries, it would take a week or two before he felt much more like himself.

Carefully, he pushed himself to stand up, listening for where Steve might have gone. He heard some noises off from the lanai, so he slowly made his way out onto the deck.

Steve noticed movement from the corner of his eye and turned to watch as Danny carefully moved to the deck chair and sat down. Steve knew that Danny understood his limits, but he still hated to see him in so much pain.

Other than completely medicating the pain away, which he knew Danny didn't want to do; time was the only thing that would help with the ribs. And with Danny wanting to be not only an active father, but more fully involved at work, it would be a tough few days until he was feeling slightly more human.

Steve jogged over with a bottle of water in his hand. He knew that Danny would just about kill for a beer right about now, but he wasn't going to risk it with the pain medications. Hopefully in a day or two, he would be able to indulge a bit.

"Hey, man. How did you rest?" Steve handed him the water and sat down on the other deck chair.

Danny took a drink of the water and shrugged one shoulder. "So-so. It's hard to get comfortable with the ribs, and then crashing on the couch probably didn't help too much, either. But it's not horrible – it's just really aggravating."

Steve nodded, understanding just what Danny was talking about. "Hopefully within the next couple of days, things will feel a lot better for you."

Danny smiled wryly – if it happened sooner than that, he wouldn't complain. He sat and enjoyed the ocean breeze for a few minutes before turning back to Steve with a question. "Can you give me a hand back up? I want to go take a quick shower before Grace gets here – I smell like the hospital."

Steve stood and held out his hand for Danny to take. Keeping his weight centered, he carefully pulled until Danny was upright. "I put your bag in the guest room – are you okay with the stairs?"

Danny nodded. "Yeah, I'll just go slow. Keep an ear out – I'll yell if I need anything."

Steve tried not to hover – in his head, he knew that Danny was going to be fine – but it had been a close call, and a part of him still worried.

Danny made it safely upstairs and into the bathroom before Steve finally let his guard down and headed back outside. With the lanai door open, he would be able to hear Danny if he needed anything.

Danny sighed as he stepped into the bathroom. Truth be told, he was a lot more sore than he let Steve know. He knew that Steve was already worried – he could feel Steve's stare as he labored up the stairs – and he didn't want to give him more fuel for the fire, so to speak.

He turned the water on as hot as he could stand and carefully stepped out of his sleep pants. He had learned that if he took it slow, he could manage the shirt as well, and before long, he was carefully stepping into the shower.

He hissed as the hot water beat down on his abused muscles and dropped his head forward, letting the droplets act like miniscule hammers pounding into the knots in his shoulders. He knew that he couldn't stay in too long, but he didn't care – the water was a balm, washing away the fear of the last few days.

After about five more minutes, his body had had enough. He knew he had pushed it too far when he realized he barely had any strength to get out and get dressed.

Very carefully, he shut the water off and stepped out onto the mat, wrapping a towel around his waist. He had to grab the edge of the sink as a wave of dizziness overtook him. "Fuck." He sat down on the lid of the toilet and let his head drop for a few seconds, until the dizziness subsided a little.

He could tell that the lack of dizziness was probably temporary, so he hurried to get his underwear and clean sleep pants on, just in case. Reaching his shaving kit, he grabbed the toothbrush and wet it underneath the sink. Water would do for now and would be better than nothing.

Leaving it on the counter after a quick scrub of his teeth, he gingerly stood up, immediately swaying as the blood rushed from his head. "Damn it." He swore softly to himself, frustrated at his body's lack of cooperation now that he was home.

Holding onto the door frame and then to the wall, he managed to make it back to the guest room before collapsing onto the bed in an undignified heap. "Steve?" His voice was quiet, so he cleared his throat and tried again, a little louder this time, aiming for the open window and hoping for the best.

"Steve?" Hearing the barbecue tools clatter on the grill, Danny knew that Steve had heard him this time. He almost chuckled at the speed with which Steve took the stairs – Danny wondered how many of them he had skipped along the way?

"Danny? What's wrong?" Steve hurried to help him move so that he was more comfortable on the bed.

"Dizzy." Danny was fighting nausea and a cold sweat, which told him that he had probably done too much.

Steve reached for the pulse point on Danny's wrist and swore at the rapid flutter. "Hang on, Danny. I'm going to get your feet up a little higher, okay? I think your blood pressure just dumped on you. Did you use really hot water?" Steve had grabbed a few extra pillows from the bed and carefully lifted Danny's feet so that they were elevated above his heart. He knew that heat could play a role in having low blood pressure, and given Danny's past health issues, it wasn't out of the realm of possibility.

Danny nodded against the pillow. "Yeah – I couldn't stand the hospital smell any longer." Danny was starting to shake a bit from the shock, and Steve carefully draped a light throw over his upper body.

Steve understood, and nodded his head. "And I'm guessing you stayed in there longer than you probably were ready for?"

Danny looked a bit morose. "Fuck, Steve. I know, but I needed…"

Steve placed a hand on his arm. "Danny, I'm not judging. I swear. I would have done the exact same thing. So now, we just deal. I'm going to go and grab you something to drink, and we'll let your body settle down a little bit before hurricane Grace shows up."

Danny looked surprised. He had figured that Steve would go 'father hen' on him and cancel the barbecue, but wasn't going to complain.

"Just rest here a few minutes while I get something to help you hydrate, and then we'll head back down stairs and you can just hang out while I get things ready for the party, okay?"

Danny nodded as Steve jogged down the stairs. Danny took stock of how he was feeling, and was glad to note that some of the dizziness had subsided, and while he was still nauseous, he wasn't on the edge of imminent vomiting like he was a few minutes ago.

He wiped at the clamminess on his face and grimaced – at the rate he was going, he would need another shower before too long.

Footsteps on the stairs alerted Danny to Steve's return. In his hand was a bottle of purple electrolyte drink, which didn't surprise him in the least, given Steve's childlike (yet secret) enjoyment of grape shave ice.

Steve cracked the seal on the lid and set it on the bedside table. Checking Danny's pulse one more time, he nodded and helped him sit up a little more. He handed him the bottle and headed to the bathroom to grab a wet washcloth.

By the time he got back, he was pleased to see that Danny had managed about a quarter of the bottle – it wasn't much, but he knew that Danny would need to take it slow. He folded the cloth and placed it along the back of Danny's neck, knowing that it would help cool him down and would go a long way towards making him feel more like himself.

Steve watched anxiously as Danny sipped at the cold liquid – so far, so good…Danny wasn't showing any further signs of the blood pressure dump that had snuck up on him.

Steve pulled out his cell phone. "Danny, I'm going to call Dr. Sanchez…just to see if there's anything else I should be doing. You look better, but I just want to be sure, okay?" Dr. Sanchez had given him a contact number to use if he had any questions or concerns – and while Steve wasn't overly worried, he needed to reassure himself that Danny would be okay.

Danny just watched as Steve placed the call. A part of him was afraid that Dr. Sanchez would want him to come back to the emergency room. He did his best to slow his breathing down. Getting worked up would not help matters one bit.

"Dr. Sanchez? It's Steve McGarrett. I'm calling about Danny." Steve placed a hand on Danny's shin, trying to stop the nervous bouncing of his leg.

"He was released this morning, and after couple of hours of being home, he decided to take a shower. Best we can tell, he got overheated with the water, and was standing for longer than he was used to. When he got out, he was very dizzy and a bit shocky. I elevated his feet and covered him up, which helped after about five minutes. He's been sipping at an electrolyte drink, and has managed about sixteen ounces without issue. Is there anything else I need to do or watch for?"

Steve was quiet for a few seconds before laughing out loud. Danny could see his shoulders relax, and he let out a breath as well. "Okay, thanks, Dr. Sanchez. I will."

He disconnected the call and turned to Danny with a grin. "He said next time, take a cold shower. But all in all, he thinks you just got overheated and weren't quite ready to be upright for that long. He said keep drinking things without caffeine or alcohol for the next day or two, and just take it easy for the rest of the day. If it happens again, give him a call and he'll check things out. He's not worried, though, okay?"

Danny nodded, his throat tight. He blew out a deep breath and tried to rein in his emotions. Thankfully Steve didn't bust his chops over his little mood swing. He just helped Danny sit up and waited while he got his bearings. When he was sure that Danny was steady, he helped him downstairs and onto the couch.

He thought about taking him to the lanai, but the afternoon sun was still rather harsh, so until it retreated for the day, Danny would relax inside. Steve had a small soft-sided cooler in the kitchen and he partially filled it with ice before putting a few water bottles, as well as another electrolyte drink.

Steve had everything under control outside, and so he kept Danny entertained in between getting things ready for the grill. Danny had also found a baseball game on ESPN, so he was fairly content to follow doctor's orders. He wanted to have some energy to keep up with his daughter and his friends, and knowing that they would be arriving within the hour; he settled back against the cushions and let himself relax. Things finally felt like they were looking up.

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	18. Chapter 18

_A/N: Thanks for reading and reviewing. I know I keep saying it, but I really do appreciate every one of them, signed or anonymous._

_The muse still wants to be a brat - hasn't she learned that she's not in charge? Silly muse!_

_I don't own anything related to Hawaii Five-0 or CBS. No copyright infringement is intended._

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The rest of the afternoon passed without incident. Danny kept things low-key, and was feeling much improved by the time his daughter burst through the door.

"Danno!" She rushed over to the couch and immediately engulfed Danny into a tight hug. She was careful, but really wanted to feel her dad close to her.

"Hey, Monkey. I missed you so much!" Danny breathed in the tropical scent of her shampoo and let the scent reach all the way into his pores, calming him like nothing else could.

"Are you better, Danno? You don't have to go back to the hospital anymore?"

Danny looked Grace square in the eyes. "There's a funny thing about getting better, Grace. Sometimes you don't always know what is going to help you or make you feel kind of yucky again. Like earlier. I took a hot shower – that should help, right?"

Grace nodded, her face completely serious. _Of course showers help you feel better._

"Well, my body decided that too much hot water wasn't a good thing. I got a little dizzy, and Uncle Steve did his SEAL medicine thing and had me feeling better in no time. He even called the doctor to make sure, and Dr. Sanchez said that I just had to remember to take it easy. I don't have to go and see him unless I feel like that again, but now I know what I can and can't do."

Grace still looked a little worried, so Danny leaned down and kissed her head. "I'm going to need your help, too, babe. You get to spend the whole weekend with Steve and I here at his house – do you think you could help me make sure I don't overdo it? Maybe you could be my helper if I needed something?"

Grace nodded enthusiastically. She was a good helper, and knew that she would do a good job. "Uncle Steve?" Grace yelled towards the lanai, knowing that he was outside.

He jogged inside and joined them in the living room. "What's up, munchkin?"

Grace giggled at the nickname. "Do you have any paper?"

Steve looked at Danny and then back at Grace. "Yeah...what are you looking to make?"

Grace grinned at her dad. "I need to make a schedule for Danno, so that he doesn't do too much. I'm going to be his helper and make sure he stays better."

Danny shook his head and rolled his eyes. '_Great. He had created a monster.'_

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By the time Chin and Kono had arrived, Grace had Danny's schedule filled for the whole weekend. It consisted of things like, "Rest", "Cuddle with Grace", "Eat Ice Cream", "Nap on the deck chair", "Watch Movies – Danno's choice", and "Sleep Lots".

Danny couldn't argue with any of the items on her list, and happily helped her attach it to the fridge using a magnet. Even Chin chuckled when he saw Grace's handiwork, and immediately asked her to help plan his next weekend off. Grace, of course, was thrilled.

The adults sat out on the lanai while Grace splashed in the shallow water. It was Chin who got the conversation started. "So Kono and I will go to the hospital tomorrow for Charlie's surgery."

Danny made like he was about to interrupt him when Kono held up her hand. "Charlie wants you to stay home and rest, brah. He knew that you would want to come and be there, but you have Grace, and there's nothing to do but sit and wait. He even put it in writing if you want to take a look."

Kono pulled a folded piece of paper from her shorts pocket, but Danny shook his head before glancing at Steve. "I know…I hate it, but I know. Just make sure you check in and let us know how things are going, okay?"

Chin nodded. "That's the plan. We'll check in every time we hear from the docs, and as soon as he's settled in recovery and then back in his room. One of the two of us will probably stay overnight as well. Charlie deserves to have someone there for him – he doesn't deserve to be alone."

That was more emotion than Chin normally showed, but he knew what loneliness felt like. He didn't want his friend to feel the same thing as he felt every night that he went to sleep without Malia by his side.

Steve warmly squeezed Chin's shoulder – he understood how his friend was feeling. The solitude could almost be too much if he let it.

Chin took a deep breath, before the mask was firmly back in place. It never did him any good to dwell on what he had lost – he could only do his best to forge a new future for himself as the fates saw fit.

Steve stood and headed towards the grill, knowing that he would need to get the chicken on a few minutes before he put the fish on. Grace had had a blast helping him make the marinade for the chicken – it was obvious that Danny had spent some time in the kitchen with her…she really loved helping.

Grace saw him and hurried to join him. Steve had told her that she could help grill, and she was looking forward to it. Her mom never really let her help too much – they had a chef most of the time, and even when it was her mom cooking, she never really wanted any help in the kitchen. That's why she loved spending time with her dad, and now with Uncle Steve – they let her decide what things to make, and took the time to teach her how to do things on her own.

Danny just smiled as he watched his best friend and daughter together. Grace brought out a side of Steve that very few people got to see. He never talked down to her, but when she was around him, he seemed to lighten up – he was much more free, if that made sense.

Chin and Kono followed his gaze and grinned as well. "He's a different person around her, isn't he?" Kono's voice held no judgment…just an observation.

Danny turned to the cousins. "Yeah, I'm not sure what it is. But he's a lot more relaxed…more open, if you will? Whatever her pull, I'm grateful for it. He deserves a chance to just enjoy, you know?"

Chin carefully patted Danny on the back. "Yes he does, brah. Yes he does." He stood and headed to the cooler, grabbing an icy cold Longboard on his way to the grill.

Danny just sat back and watched as Kono sprinted over to the grill and swooped Grace up into a twirling, squealing, giggling hug. He never thought he would have any semblance of family here in Hawaii – he had moved just to be near his daughter a measly two days a week. But now, after all of the grit and determination he could muster, he now had Grace with him almost half of the time, a job that he was proud to be good at, and a family – an ohana – that had proved over and over again that there was nothing they wouldn't do for one another.

It humbled Danny, if he stopped and thought about it. He knew he was a very lucky man, and vowed to not take things for granted any longer. Charlie was evidence that things could go wrong at a moment's notice – and it was important to live each day to the fullest, for one never knew how much life was left.

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Danny woke up the next morning feeling a bit better than he had the day before. Grace was sound asleep in one of the guest rooms – Danny was right next door, and Steve was down the hall. The light was starting to come through the curtains, signaling that the day was going to start whether Danny wanted it to or not.

He sat up carefully and stretched his neck, feeling the bones reluctantly slide back into place. After cleaning up a little and dressing in a pair of basketball shorts and a t-shirt, he headed downstairs, where Steve had the coffee already brewing.

He saw the towel on the deck chair, and knew that Steve was outside somewhere. Fixing a mug of coffee, he quietly headed out onto the lanai and carefully lowered himself into the other chair.

He could see a dark spot quite a ways off shore, and knew that Steve was probably headed back to shore. It was approaching 6:30 in the morning, and knew that Steve was usually finished with his swim by 7:00.

He sat and waited, enjoying his coffee until Steve finally poured himself out of the ocean. Steve smiled as he saw Danny sitting in the deck chair – he looked so much better less than twenty-four hours from getting out of the hospital. It lifted a weight from his shoulders, knowing that Danny was finally on the road to recovery.

"Hey, Aquaman. Good swim?" Danny grinned as he tossed Steve his towel.

Steve made like he was going to flick Danny with the end of the towel, but instead used it to scrub the water from his hair. "Any swim is a good swim, Danny."

Danny chuckled to himself. "My dad used to say that swimming was confusing. Sometimes you swim for fun, and other times you swim in order to not die. Obviously, I know which camp you fall into."

Steve smiled and shook his head. "And I know which camp you are in as well."

Danny raised his coffee cup. "Touché."

Just then, the two men heard Grace calling for them. Steve jogged into the house, and before long, had a sleepy Grace resting in his arms. "Look who finally woke up, Danny."

Danny just scooted a little further to the side, where Steve carefully set Grace on Danny's lap. Danny nodded that he was okay as he tucked Grace's head more comfortably underneath his chin. "Good morning, Monkey. Did you sleep well?"

Grace nodded against his chest. "I like hearing the ocean. It makes me sleep better."

Danny rolled his eyes as he felt Steve high-five Grace. They truly were two peas in a pod. He shifted so that he was looking down at her face. "Whatever floats your boat, babe." He grinned and kissed her forehead, laughing as her eyes crossed trying to look at him.

Steve sat on the arm of the deck chair. "Is anyone hungry for breakfast? I can make waffles, pancakes, or omelettes…whatever you guys want."

Danny and Grace looked at each other before turning to Steve and saying, "Waffles". Steve smiled and headed off towards the kitchen, leaving Danny and Grace to cuddle together on the chair.

"How are you doing, babe? Is everything okay?" Danny felt like she was doing well, but wanted to check in, just in case.

Grace was quiet for a few minutes before turning to face Danny. "Are you really okay, Danno? You don't have to go back to the hospital?" Grace probably didn't even realize that she had repeated her question from last night. She was really worried that Danny would end up having to leave her, and all Danny could do is reassure her as best he could.

"Monkey, I need you to listen to me, okay? I promise I'm getting better. I don't like the hospital either, but it's the best place to be if someone is sick. I honestly don't think I will have to go back – I'm feeling better every day. But if I did, you have to know I would fight as hard as I could to get back to you. You know that, right?"

Grace nodded. "I know…but I just don't want you to go. I don't like wondering if you're okay or not."

The light bulb went off and Danny had a better picture of what the problem was. "I think I get it. If I'm in the hospital, sometimes it takes a long time for someone to call and tell you how I'm doing, right?"

As she nodded, he caught sight of Steve heading back out to where they were seated. Gesturing with his head, Danny motioned for Steve to join them. "I think I have an idea, babe."

He turned to where Steve was looking quizzically at the pair. "Steve. Grace shared a little bit about what has been worrying her. She's not a fan of me having to go to the hospital, because sometimes it takes a long time for anyone to call her and let her know how things are going. So what if…and this is assuming that it's okay to use his phone…what if Steve promised to call you within the first hour, even if he doesn't know all of the news yet? If Steve can't call, then Chin or Kono would be next in line. Would that be okay with both of you?"

Danny could tell that Steve understood what he meant by 'okay to use his phone' – it was all contingent upon Danny being stable enough for Steve to place a call. He hated not telling her the truth, but he'd rather blame it on not being able to use his phone and buying a little more time for things to stabilize, than have to tell her bad news right off the bat. Now granted, he hoped they would never have to put this plan in place, but he knew that Grace would feel better if she could count on someone getting in touch with her.

Steve knelt down next to Grace. "Grace, I know you're worried. But I promise, one of us will call you as soon as we can. We may not have much news, but we'll still call."

Grace nodded her head. "That's okay. I know that sometimes it takes a long time to find out anything. But maybe I wouldn't feel so scared if I could talk to one of you." Grace trusted the three to take care of her dad, and just hearing from them would go a long way to calming her down if the situation ever warranted it.

Rachel knew that Grace loved her dad, but didn't quite seem to grasp the bond that the two shared. So for Grace, not knowing what was happening was worse than knowing – her connection to Danny would make whatever she dreamed up so much worse in her mind.

Just the knowledge that there was a plan in place did wonders for her mood, and she stood up. "Is it time for waffles, Uncle Steve? I'm really hungry!" With Danny helping to steady her, she carefully climbed onto the arm of the chair so that she could get a piggyback ride from Steve.

Giggling as Steve swung her up and onto his back, she leaned over and reached for Danny's hand. "Come on, Danno. Let's go eat!"

Danny took his time standing up, but soon was holding Grace's hand as they made their way into the kitchen. After breakfast, hopefully they would hear something regarding Charlie's surgery, and they could find a way to occupy their time while they waited.

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	19. Chapter 19

_A/N: I fear interest is waning in this story, but I'm truly grateful for those of you who are still here. The muse has been a bit cranky these days. She and I have had a few rounds, but it's like I tell my students - 'I have the red pen and the grade book, so I win'. In this case, it's 'I have the laptop and sharp pointy boots, so I win.' I had to put her in time out after...well, you'll see what she did. Hopefully, she will see the error of her ways._

After breakfast was over, Danny stayed on the lanai while Grace and Steve headed down to the water's edge. SuperSEAL and his mini-me were completely at home, splashing in the shallow waves and building a shell-adorned sand castle. Danny just chuckled as he watched the two together.

His cell phone vibrated in his pocket, and he pulled it out and checked the caller ID. "Hey, Kono. How's everything going?"

"Howzit, Danny? Are you feeling any better today?" She had been worried about Danny, and wanted to be the one to call him the first time.

"Honestly, Kono? I am feeling better. Things still hurt, but I haven't had any more issues like yesterday. Of course, I haven't tried another shower yet, either. But if I take it easy, it's not too bad."

Kono giggled. "If I remember right, Grace's schedule had you guys out in the sand right about now?"

Danny shook his head. "Well, I wasn't feeling much like getting sand in various places, so I'm on the lanai, while Steve and Grace are doing their water baby thing."

He could feel Kono's smile through the phone. "Listen. I just wanted to let you know that they took Charlie for surgery about ten minutes ago. If everything goes well, they said it could be anywhere from six to eight hours to get him back into recovery. The staff has agreed to keep Chin and I posted, so whenever they come and tell us anything, we'll call you, okay?"

Danny nodded, his stomach suddenly in knots. "Sounds good. Please let us know if you guys need anything. Steve can make a hospital run if he needs to."

He heard a lower voice in the background before Kono's voice was in his ear. "Will do, Danny. And Chin said that he thought movie time might be next on Grace's schedule – he's wondering if _Finding Nemo _is in your immediate future, dude?"

Danny sighed dramatically. _Nemo_ was Grace's latest obsession, and Danny could recite the entire script for as many times as he'd seen the animated movie. "I hate you both. So much." He grinned as he hung up the phone, with Kono's giggles providing the background music as he turned to watch Steve and Grace again.

"Steve, seriously?" Danny rolled his eyes as he caught sight of Grace lying flat – a huge mound of wet sand covering her legs so far. It was apparent that Steve was attempting to bury his daughter. At least he had put a towel down underneath her head so that her hair wouldn't be full of sand…wouldn't that be a bitch to wash out?

Steve just chuckled as he continued packing sand around Grace, who was trying desperately to stay still. The sand tickled, though, and it was taking all of her control not to giggle and squirm.

"Aww, come on, Danno!" Grace's voice pleaded to let her and Uncle Steve finish their game.

"Yeah…come on, Danno!" Steve's baritone chimed in and Grace couldn't help but laugh at the expression on her dad's face.

"Gracie, hold still. You're going to crack the mountain if you're not careful." Steve was on his knees, using mainly his hands to dig the wet sand and mound it over Grace. He was now up to her waist, and would soon have her covered except for her head.

"Danno…bring your phone, please? I want a picture of this." Grace squealed as Steve packed the sand along her ribs, tickling her in the process.

Danny grumbled good-naturedly as he grabbed his phone from his pocket and carefully picked his way through the sand. "I swear…I don't know who is the child sometimes." He wasn't mad, though – he loved getting to see this side of Steve. Steve rarely let his guard down, which was a byproduct of his background. So it was nice to see the almost playful side of his best friend once in a while.

He took numerous pictures, knowing immediately that he would print the one of Steve lying in the sand next to Grace, mimicking her pose. They both had the same joyful expression on their faces, and he wanted to capture this for Steve, to remind him that at the end of the day, there was a little girl who now new that two men in her life hung the moon.

Danny knew first-hand what an enormous responsibility that was, but he also knew that there wasn't anyone else in the world he trusted with his daughter's happiness and safety. He had a feeling that Steve would love to display a few pictures in his office – pictures which clearly showed the love and affection the two had for one another.

"All right. Are you two sand people just about done? If I'm not mistaken, it's movie time, but I refuse to share the couch with people as messy as the two of you. Grace, it's time to hit the showers. Steve? Well…do what you do to make yourself presentable. While you two are getting cleaned up, I'll fix some drinks and snacks for the movie. Sound good?"

Danny knew that it hadn't been that long since breakfast, but being outside tended to make Grace hungry. There was no way he wanted a cranky daughter at any point today. He headed inside, knowing that Steve would make sure Grace was headed for the shower.

He kept an ear out, but it only took a few minutes for Grace to be thundering up the stairs and into the guest bathroom, with Steve hot on her heels. It wasn't long before Danny could hear both showers running and knew that he had only a short time before Steve would be back downstairs.

He pulled some fruit and cheese from the refrigerator, holding his ribs as he bent down to go through the crisper drawers. He really was feeling better, but every once in a while, his body reminded him that it hadn't been that long since it had been beaten.

Danny didn't do patient very well, and the thought of having to take it easy for another couple of weeks was just about too much to handle. At least Rachel was being more than generous with his time with Grace. She and Stan both had a few more business meetings than normal this week, so Danny was on deck to spend time with his daughter. He wouldn't trade it for anything.

He heard one shower stop, and knew that Steve would be downstairs within a few minutes. He hurried to cut the melon into cubes and shapes, and added it to the cheese and crackers that he had placed on a plate. A few toothpicks from Steve's 'random stuff' drawer, along with a few frozen York Peppermint Patties, and Danny's patented Williams snack was ready to go.

He took the tray into the living room and set it on the coffee table. Satisfied that he hadn't forgotten anything, he headed back into the kitchen for three bottles of water. As he crossed through the kitchen doorway, he heard Steve on the stairs. "Wow. A whole 5 minutes, Steve? Didn't the Army train you any better than that?"

Steve raised one eyebrow. "The Navy, Danny, and yes, they did. But the sheer amount of sand your daughter kicked all over me was a bit much."

Danny grinned, having been on the receiving end of one of Grace's sand showers before. "Yeah – she's a bit wild at times. I don't have _any idea_ where she gets that from."

Danny glanced down at his watch and saw that only an hour had passed since the cousins had called. That meant they still had a long way to go with Charlie's surgery. Steve looked sympathetic. "Not long enough yet, huh?"

Danny took a deep breath. "I just hate waiting, you know? Every single time…I just feel so fucking helpless."

Steve clasped a hand on Danny's shoulder. "I know. But we can't do anything, so let's just try to do the best we can to wait this out, okay?"

Danny nodded as he heard Grace coming down the stairs. She saw where everyone was and hurried to claim her spot on the couch in between her dad and Steve.

As soon as Danny and Steve had taken their spots, Grace wrapped an arm around Danny's waist. "I love you, Danno."

Grace never ceased to amaze him. She had no way of knowing where Danny's head was just now, and yet she managed to coax him back with her words and her actions. "I love you too, Monkey. So very much."

Steve handed Danny the remote, and before long, the theme music to _Shrek_ was playing in the background, and they were settled in for their movie marathon. They plowed through two _Shrek_ films before taking a short break. Danny had gotten a text from Chin letting him know that everything was going according to plan, and that he would let him know when the next update happened.

Grace and Danny were outside, curled up on a lounge chair, enjoying the warmth and the ocean breeze. Steve was taking time to do some straightening in his office, fully ready to stop whenever Danny and Grace were ready for the next item on Danny's list.

Steve had a feeling that Grace would soon be ready for Danny to have ice cream – that directive was now circled on the list with stars next to it – so once the office was satisfactory, he headed for the kitchen to set out some supplies to make ice cream sundaes. It was lunchtime, but Grace had eaten well enough with the snack that Danny had made.

He had everything out on the table before heading outside to find the Williams duo. What he saw made his heart ache. Grace and Danny had both dozed off, curled around one another. Steve pulled his phone from his pocket and snapped a couple of pictures, knowing that Danny would treasure this image for the rest of his life.

There was nothing on the table that needed to be in the refrigerator, so Steve decided to kick back on the other deck chair for a little while. He knew that Danny wouldn't want Grace to sleep all afternoon, so he figured he'd give them thirty minutes or so before waking them up.

He shut his eyes and absorbed the sound of the waves. No matter what chaos was going on in his mind, the sound of the ocean always calmed Steve. It was the one constant, regardless of how unsettled things were – the ocean would always be there.

Things stayed quiet for a bit before Steve's cell phone rang from the depths of his pocket. He pushed himself up from the chair and headed towards the kitchen, catching sight of Danny and Grace sitting up, trying to chase the sleep away.

He swiped the lock and saw that it was Chin. "Hey, Chin. What's going on?"

Chin was worried. "Is everything okay? Kono tried calling Danny, but he didn't answer."

Steve was quick to reassure his friend. "Yeah. He and Grace were asleep on the lanai. It's been a very exhausting morning of sand castles, movies, and a nap."

Chin's deep chuckle was a welcomed sound. "He lives a rough life, brah."

They both were quiet for a few moments thinking about how rough Danny truly had had it lately; no joke about it. "So how's the surgery going?" Steve figured that was why Chin had called.

"The nurse came out a few minutes ago and said that things were still progressing as expected. She thought maybe another hour at the most, but not to quote her."

Chin sounded tired, and Steve knew this ordeal had taken a toll on all of them. "I'll let Danny know. Do you guys need anything?"

Chin let out a breath. "No…we've taken turns going to the cafeteria, and an auntie is a volunteer here – she's kept the coffee flowing for us."

Steve saw Danny and Grace heading inside and smiled as Grace's eyes locked onto the stash of ice cream toppings on the kitchen table. "Just let us know, okay? Right now, according to Grace's joyful kitchen dance, it's ice cream time."

Chin said his goodbyes, with a promise to let one of them know how things were going with the surgery, while Steve pocketed his phone and headed for the kitchen.

"Uncle Steve! Hurry, please. It's ice cream time, and then after that, I have to find my backpack. Danno told me that Charlie's surgery was today, so I want to make him a picture for his room to help him feel better."

Steve smiled and hugged her to his side. "That is a great idea, Gracie. I think Charlie will like that."

The three sat at the table and dished ice cream into bowls, before digging into the topping buffet in front of them. Steve kept it very sedate, and just added some fresh fruit to his ice cream. Danny was more traditional, but didn't go overboard – just some chocolate and some peanuts.

Grace, on the other hand, tried just about every topping on the table. Danny did keep her to smaller portions, but figured an ice cream lunch one day out of her life would not hurt her one bit.

After the ice cream sugar high, Grace was a ball of energy, so Steve had Grace put on her tennis shoes and took her outside. "We'll just go down to the mini mart and back. It's less than half a mile, and if she wants to walk, we'll walk."

Danny was glad that Steve didn't mind. Grace was practically vibrating with excess energy, so with promises to be careful, the two set off on a jog that was practically a walk by Steve's standards. Grace's ponytail was bouncing as she ran and skipped her way down the road. He noticed that Steve put himself closest to the road, making sure that Grace stayed safe. He was always looking out for her.

Danny figured he had time to clean up the kitchen before they got back…sitting for too long didn't feel that great on his ribs, so he was glad to move around a little bit. He rinsed the bowls before putting them in the dishwasher, and put the toppings away, hoping he got things in the right place.

Once he was finished, he headed out the front door and took a seat in the Adirondack chair so that he could see when Steve and Grace returned. Clouds were starting to roll in, which meant another afternoon storm. Danny still wasn't a fan, but Grace loved them. They ranged from a light misty rain, to a pounding deluge – and everything in between.

There was no rhyme or reason, which added to their unpredictability. Danny just hoped that Steve and Grace made it back before they got wet.

Danny felt his phone vibrate in his pocket and hurried to answer it. "Hey, Chin. What's up?"

His face blanched as he listened to Chin telling him the latest news. He took a few deep breaths to clear his head before nodding. "Yeah. I'll let Steve know."

He pocketed his phone again and dropped his elbows to his knees. "Fuck!" He couldn't believe this was happening. This wasn't the news he was expecting to hear, and he had no idea how to process what he had learned. It just wasn't fair, damn it. It just wasn't fair.

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	20. Chapter 20

_A/N: Thanks for everything, you guys! I so very much appreciate all of you._

_The muse is in a mood - I'm debating grounding her and letting her think about what she's trying to do here. Let's just say that what she's done the past few chapters (and the next couple as well) was not even a thought in the original outline. So yeah._

_I don't own anything related to Hawaii Five-0 or CBS. No copyright infringement is intended._

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Danny was still seated in the same position when Steve and Grace jogged back up the driveway. Danny tried to school his features so that Grace wouldn't worry, but Steve immediately could tell something was wrong.

"Hey, Grace? Can you run in and grab a couple of water bottles and a towel? I don't want to get mud in the kitchen." Steve hoped that would give Danny enough time to fill him in.

"Sure, Uncle Steve. Be right back." She skipped back inside, much calmer than when they left.

As soon as she was out of earshot, Steve knelt down in front of Danny. "What happened? Is it Charlie?"

Danny's face was pinched as he nodded. "Chin called. They got the tumor out, but there were complications while he was in recovery. He suffered a seizure. There was also some excessive bleeding, and they're worried about the increased pressure in his head. They're giving him medications to help with the swelling. He's also not reacting to any stimuli on his right side. It's bad right now, Steve…they aren't sure when…when he'll wake up."

Steve could tell that Danny had nearly said 'if' instead of 'when'. He reached out and placed a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Charlie's tough, Danny. We'll just keep good thoughts that he can get through this."

Danny nodded and took a deep breath, trying to calm the sinking feeling in his stomach. He heard Grace on her way back and pasted what he hoped was a calm expression on his face.

"Here you go, Uncle Steve! Danno, I brought you a water, too." She handed him the water bottle and plopped carefully into his lap.

"Thanks, Monkey. Did you have fun with Uncle Steve?" Danny took a cautious sip of the water, not sure it would stay down. His stomach was protesting the adrenaline and stress.

"I did. I think I like running. It's really a lot of fun!"

Danny chuckled at her exuberance. "It can be. You and I can go running when it's just us, too. Once I'm back up to speed, that is."

Grace hugged his waist. "Yay! Thank you, Danno!"

Steve stood up to go inside. "And until Danny is feeling better, I'll be your running buddy, okay?"

Grace gave Steve the 'shaka' sign before standing up and holding her hand out to help Danny stand up as well. "Sounds good, Uncle Steve. Now I need to go and get started on Charlie's picture. Do you think we can take it to him?"

Danny and Steve locked eyes for a few seconds. "I'm not sure, Gracie. He may not be feeling that great for a little while. I know that Uncle Chin and Aunt Kono are taking turns staying at the hospital with him. Maybe we can give it to them to put in his room?"

Grace, fortunately, hadn't picked up on the awkward tension, and happily agreed. "Okay."

The three headed back into the house; Grace towards the living room and her art supplies, and Steve and Danny towards the study to call Chin and Kono.

Knowing that Grace was occupied, Steve had his phone out and was dialing before Danny even made it into the room. "Chin? What's going on? Any news?"

Chin sighed, exhausted. "They've gotten him stabilized, for now. They're worried about the pressure in his brain – they put a drain in to help relieve the pressure, and have started him on some steroids as well."

Steve had put Chin on speaker when Danny came into the room, guiding him to sit down before he fell down. "Chin, what are they saying about the long term? Can he recover from this?"

Chin kept his voice calm, knowing that Steve and Danny were frustrated that they weren't at the hospital. "They're being cautious right now. _If_ they can get the swelling under control, and _if_ the bleeding subsides, and _if_ there wasn't permanent damage during the seizure, then they say he could very well recover. They just won't know until he wakes up. So right now, we wait."

Danny cleared his throat. "How's Kono doing?" They all knew that Kono and Charlie were good friends – this had to be tearing her apart."

Chin sounded defeated. "She's trying to be strong, but she's a mess. I'm trying to get her to go home for a bit and clear her head, but am not having any luck."

Danny waved to get Steve's attention and mouthed a suggestion that hopefully would work.

"Hey, Chin? Grace is working on a masterpiece for Charlie's room. What if I bring it to the hospital and bring Kono back here with me for a little while. Grace would love to see her."

Chin chuckled. "You can do your worst. But be prepared for her to fight you on it."

Steve smiled sympathetically. "I can be quite persuasive, you know."

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It actually took a little more persuading than Steve had expected. At first, he tried calm suggesting. When that didn't work, he tried to be her boss and forcefully 'encourage' her. That didn't work either. Finally, he stepped back as her friend. He sat next to her in the waiting room chairs and put his arm around her shoulder.

"Kono, please. Chin is worried…we're all worried. You're exhausted and understandably anxious – and take it from me – spending too much time in your own head is a bad thing."

Kono's eyes were bright with unshed tears. "I know I'm being stupid. But I can't help it. I feel like…if I…what if I leave and something happens?"

Steve pulled her in for a hug. "You need to take care of you, though. Chin can call if something happens, and you can be back here in ten minutes if you need to. Please, Kono? Come back to the house for an hour or two. Grab a shower. Let Grace love on you. Clear your head a little bit, and then come back and be strong for Charlie."

Kono visibly deflated, and Chin had tears in his eyes as he felt a wave of protectiveness surge over him. No matter that Kono was an adult – right now, she was his little cousin, and he would give anything to take her pain away from her.

Steve passed her off to Chin, knowing that the older man would need to reassure her that he would keep an eye on things. Steve made a quick call to Danny letting him know that Kono was on her way. Danny promised that he would keep Grace low key, knowing that Kono probably didn't have a lot of energy to expend at this point. He reminded Steve to be careful, as the afternoon storm was going full force.

Kono looked lost as Chin stepped back from his hug and turned her back towards where Steve was waiting. Steve didn't want to presume, but wanted Chin to know he wasn't forgotten in all of this. "If you want to get out of here for a little while, I can come back and stay."

Chin shook his head. "I'm okay. Danny needs you right now – you know that. I've got a couple of aunties coming with some clothes from my place – I'll grab a shower and clean up here. I'll be fine, brah. Thanks, though."

Steve nodded and wrapped one arm around Kono's shoulder, keeping her close as he walked her to his truck, trying to keep the rain out of her face. He buckled her seatbelt for her before jogging around to the driver's side. He didn't want to fill the air with mindless chatter, so he just turned the radio down low as background noise as he drove the short distance to his house.

As he pulled into his driveway, he glanced out of the corner of his eye and saw Kono wiping tears from her cheeks. He got out and came around to open her door, getting the sense that she was moving on autopilot by this point. He hurried them to the porch. "We'll just stay for a little while…long enough to recharge a little bit…and then we'll head back, okay?"

When he got no response, he looked and saw that her breaths were hitching quietly. "Aww, sweetheart. It's going to be all right. We just have to be strong, okay?" He pulled her into a hug and let her cry for a few moments before stepping back and wiping the tears from her face.

She swallowed hard and nodded before turning towards the door. "I know, Steve…I just…" She shook her head, unable to articulate the swirling thoughts in her head.

Steve just kissed the top of her head. "Hang in there, kiddo."

Danny had opened the door and was waiting for the two to come into the house. He stepped in and wrapped Kono up into a careful hug, wrapping a beach towel over her shoulders. "What can we do?"

Kono rested her chin on top of Danny's shoulder. "Charlie just needs…"

Danny interrupted her gently. "Not for Charlie. For you, Kono. What can we do for you? Do you want to just sit out and watch the water? Do you want to eat? Do you want to take a shower?"

Kono's eyes filled again, truly grateful for the friends she had. "I don't know?" Her voice was a question, but she really didn't know what she wanted or needed. She was just numb."

Danny nodded and stepped back. "Okay. Why don't you go out onto the deck. Grace is out there in her blanket fort, and I know she would love some quiet girl time. While you're there, we'll make something light to eat, and then you can grab a shower. One of your aunts dropped a bag off – Chin gave her a key to your place – so there are clean clothes in the guest bathroom."

Kono nodded and turned towards the lanai. She saw Grace waiting patiently on the edge of one of the deck chairs and smiled tiredly.

Grace pulled her to sit down, and carefully covered her before curling up next to her with her head on Kono's shoulder, and their fingers laced together. Grace kept her usual chatter almost non-existent, but instead, the two were content to just sit and let the rhythm of the waves wash over them.

After a few minutes, Grace shifted so that she was looking at Kono directly. "Auntie Kono? Are you okay?"

Kono smiled briefly, but couldn't make it reach her eyes. "I will be, Grace. I'm just worried about a friend of mine."

Grace nodded. "Charlie? Danno told me that he was sick. I made him a picture for his room."

Kono hugged Grace to her side. "I'm sure he'll love it. Thank you for thinking of him."

Grace shrugged one shoulder. "I like him. He's nice…and funny. Is he like your boyfriend?"

Kono shook her head. "No. My boyfriend's name is Adam. But Charlie is a very good friend. He doesn't have a lot of family any more, so I just want to make sure he doesn't feel alone. Does that make sense?"

Grace nodded again. "He's ohana, right? And ohana means that nobody is on their own."

Kono placed a kiss to Grace's cheek. "That's right."

The two sat in silence for a few more minutes before Steve came out with a plate of quartered sandwiches of various types and a bowl of cut-up fruit.

He wasn't going to push Kono to eat, but knew that she needed something more than the coffee she had been guzzling over the past few hours. He needn't have worried, though – Grace took it upon herself to grab two different sandwich pieces and hand one to Kono. Grace even gave her the patented 'Williams stare' until she started nibbling on the light meal.

Once most of the turkey sandwich was gone, Grace handed her a bowl with some pineapple and mango chunks in it. Again, she stared pointedly at her until she picked her way through the fruit as well.

When the meal was finished, Kono grabbed a water bottle and stood up. "I'm going to grab a quick shower. Would you mind driving me back after that, Steve?"

Steve shook his head. "Whatever you need, Kono. I'll pack up the rest of the sandwiches and fruit, and you can take them to Chin."

Kono nodded and slowly made her way up the stairs. Danny followed Steve into the kitchen and sank wearily into one of the chairs at the table. "Man, she's taking this hard. I'm worried about her."

Steve nodded as he packed the leftovers into a couple of containers. "We'll just have to keep an eye on her – on both of them. Chin more because he's going to throw himself into making sure Kono is okay, and he'll forget to take care of himself. Kono, because this is tearing her up. She's strong – but this is more than she should take on by herself."

Danny sighed and rested his head on his hand. "I wish we could be at the hospital…but thanks to me, we can't."

Steve sat down in the chair opposite Danny's. "Don't go there, Danny. You can't help that you just got out of the hospital yourself. Don't forget, your daughter is counting on you to take care of yourself – spending all day in uncomfortable chairs isn't going to be good for any of us right now."

Danny sighed. "I know…brief moment of pity party there. Maybe tomorrow or Sunday, we can go for a little while?" Danny was hoping against hope that by the time he was up for a hospital trip, Charlie would be awake and on the mend.

Steve nodded. "The not knowing is tough, I know. We'll see how the next day goes, but no matter what, if we need to be there, we will. Okay?"

Danny was grateful that Steve understood. He didn't care how miserable he was feeling, if things went south with Charlie, Danny and Steve would be there, no questions asked.

Kono came back down the stairs, her wet hair pulled into a ponytail. She still looked exhausted, but at least she didn't have the same gray pallor as she had when she first got there.

She pulled Danny into a hug and just absorbed the strength in his embrace. Lord knew she didn't have much left in her tank, so she gratefully took what her friends could offer her. "Call if you need anything, okay, rookie?"

Kono laughed despite her worry. "Rookie? It's been 4 years, brah."

Danny's eyes twinkled in merriment. "Yeah, but you were the last hired. Ergo, you're still the rookie. Deal with it."

Kono wrapped her arms around Danny's neck again. "You got it, Danny."

Danny just hugged her tight, hating the slight tremble in her frame. He had become very protective of her, as had their entire team. She was like their little sister, and they all looked out for her whenever they could, regardless of the fact that she could probably kick the asses of half of the people in the state of Hawaii.

Finally stepping back, he kissed her cheek. "I mean it, babe. If you need anything, you call. It doesn't matter what time or what it is…you call."

Kono nodded and blinked her tears away as she bent to hug Grace. "I will, Danny. I promise."

Steve placed a hand against her back and started towards the door. "You ready, Kono?"

Kono took a deep breath as they headed outside. "Yeah. Listen…I know I was a brat about coming here, but I needed it. I couldn't see it but you did, Steve. So thanks for having my back."

Steve squeezed her shoulder. "Ohana, Kono. It's what we do."

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	21. Chapter 21

_A/N: I'm glad you guys are liking the 'ohana' elements of this story. They are a family, and I hope I'm doing that justice._

_I don't own anything related to Hawaii Five-0 or CBS. No copyright infringement is intended._

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The drive back to the hospital was much the same, with music as the only thing breaking through the silence. Kono was less 'lost' this time around, though. She kept her gaze mostly out the window, but this time, she was at least cognizant of her surroundings.

Steve found a parking space not too far from the entrance, and quickly pulled in. Grabbing the bag with the food in it, he hopped out and met Kono on her side.

She still looked like she was struggling to find her footing, so Steve just flung an arm around her shoulders and headed them in the right direction.

Kono knew that she should be embarrassed about the way she was acting, but it was so hard trying to be strong for Charlie. She was grateful that Steve wasn't making a big deal out of it…he was just helping her find her balance again.

Once inside, they took the stairs up to the second floor and found Chin in the waiting room. The nurses were letting them in to see Charlie every hour for ten minutes, but then they had to wait in the waiting area. They really wanted to keep the stimulation to a minimum, at least until Charlie was a little more stable.

Kono quickly moved to Chin's side and gave him a hug. "Any change?"

Chin stepped back and hugged Steve as well. "Not so far. They're keeping him sedated and on the ventilator for now – it'll help give his body time to recover, and can help control the swelling as well. Since they put the drain in and started the steroids, there hasn't been any more swelling or active bleeding, which is a good sign. Once the pressure decreases and they are sure the bleeding has stopped, they'll let him try to wake up, and after that, will take him back to the OR to replace the bone flap at some point in the near future."

Steve was shocked to hear everything that had gone on. He was having a hard time wrapping his brain around how quickly things had turned south.

Kono voiced an obvious question. "So what are they saying about his prognosis?"

Chin raised one shoulder. "A lot depends on the next 24-48 hours. There's always a concern about infection setting in. Obviously they are taking sterile precautions, but his skull is open, so it's something they'll watch for. They put him on antibiotics, just to be safe. They're watching him for any more seizure activity, but so far, he hasn't had any more issues."

Kono could read her cousin quite well, and knew there was more he wasn't saying. "What else, Chin? I know there's something you're not telling us."

Chin sighed a deep breath. "It's just…until he wakes up, there's no way of knowing what kind of brain damage he may have suffered. He could recover and only need a short course of therapy, or he could have suffered anything ranging from speech or vision issues to weakness or paralysis. They just don't know, which is the scary part of all of this. But they have to get him awake first in order to see what kind of a prognosis he'll have."

Kono shut her eyes for a few seconds, sending up good wishes and vibes that Charlie have the best possible outcome. Anything less for her intelligent and vibrant friend was just not acceptable.

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By the time Steve pulled back into the driveway, Danny was a nervous wreck. He was trying to keep his mind off of what was taking Steve (in his mind) so long to get back to the house. His worst-case scenarios were running wild in his mind, and it was starting to stress him out.

Grace was ensconced in front of the television, leaving Danny to open the door and step out onto the porch. Seeing that Steve wasn't overly anxious allowed Danny to slightly relax and follow Steve back into the house.

"Well?" Danny was fidgeting, so after Steve waved at Grace, he turned Danny towards the lanai and motioned for him to sit down.

"He's hanging in, Danny. He's got a long road ahead of him, but he's strong. It's not going to be an easy recovery, but if all goes well, the doctors feel like he _should_ recover. A lot depends on the next day or two, but for right now, he's stable and resting quietly."

Danny sagged against the back of the chair for a moment. Waiting was the hardest thing for him – Danny was always moving and in control, so to not be able to do anything was such a struggle. He was the 'fixer' – and it ticked him off that there was nothing he had available in his bag of tricks, so to speak.

Steve eyed his best friend critically. "Did you at least try to take it easy while I was gone? You look like you've gone a few rounds."

Danny nodded. "I'm just on edge, I guess. I tried to watch TV with Grace, but found myself ready to shoot the screen."

Steve smiled, having been the owner of emotions like that before. "It doesn't help that you're still exhausted and recovering yourself. How's your pain level right now?"

Danny winced a little as he took stock of the rebellion his body was throwing at him. "I'm sore. I didn't want to take anything while you were gone, but I'll probably take something tonight. Do you think…I mean…do you think we'll need to rush to the hospital tonight?"

Steve shook his head. "I don't think so. I talked to the docs myself, and they said he was stable. Right now, he just needs time. But they really feel like he'll rest tonight, and they can start thinking about letting him wake up in the next day or so."

Danny felt a little better about his decision to take the pain medication. It had been a long day, and his body was quickly becoming rather pissed that he hadn't taken the time to rest.

"Why don't I order pizza, and you can eat and then sleep for a while. I can hang out with Grace – we can watch a movie or something. Even if you crash hard for a few hours, you'll feel better."

Danny stood up gingerly and headed back into the house. "Sounds good. I'm going to take a shower – cool, not hot, I promise. Then I'll eat – for the love of God, no pineapple please? I'm begging you, Steven. Do not torture me like that. Anyway, after that, I promise to rest and leave my daughter in your care. There will be no explosions, shark diving, Ken and Barbie military coup, or any other SEAL-ingrained activities. Do I make myself clear?"

Steve was grinning at Danny's attempt to be serious, but the twinkle in his eyes gave him away. "Got it, Danny. Although Grace did want me to help her draw up mission specs for Barbie to take over Skipper's compound…I'm not going to deny her a chance to kick Skipper's…" Steve lowered his voice. "…ass. I will concede, however, to the explosions and shark diving – we'll save that for another day."

Danny shook his head and heard Grace giggling from the living room. "Don't even think about it, Monkey."

"I know, Danno. No sharks until I'm older."

Danny spluttered as Grace jumped up to high-five Steve. "I swear…you two…"

Grace climbed up onto the couch and caught Danny in a hug. "I'm just kidding, Danno. I love you."

Danny's heart skipped as it often did when he heard his daughter tell him she loved him. "I love you, too, Monkey. So very much."

Danny steadied Grace as she hopped back down and skipped off to join Steve in the kitchen. Danny slowly made his way upstairs, where he grabbed a very brief shower, emerging unscathed this time around.

Once he had put on a pair of soft flannel sleep pants and a worn t-shirt, he headed back downstairs. He noticed that the TV was off. He figured it was partly because Steve was not very subtle about keeping an ear out for danger, part two; and partly because he and Grace were up to some type of shenanigans in the kitchen, as evidenced by the giggles coming from his daughter's belly.

As he walked into the kitchen, he couldn't help but smile as he saw Grace standing on a chair next to the counter. Steve had given her a plastic knife, and she was busy helping cut up some fruit for them to eat with their pizza.

It didn't take long for Grace to realize Danny was there – she always could tell when he was near. "Danno! Come and see what I'm making."

He nodded at Steve's quizzical look – he was tired, but felt relatively okay, all things considered. He came up behind Grace and wrapped his arms around her, blowing a kiss into the crook of her neck, causing her to squirm and squeal.

"Danno!"

"Grace!" Danny grinned as he relaxed his grip. He snuck a piece of banana and quickly moved out of the reach of Grace's plastic knife, not wanting to get jabbed in retaliation.

"Gracie, can you grab the bowl and bring it into the living room? I'll bring the pizza and Danny can grab the drinks." Steve had two boxes of pizza in his hands, along with a bunch of napkins and some paper plates.

"Got it, Uncle Steve." Grace climbed down from the chair and carefully lifted the plastic bowl into her arms. Danny stuck the serving spoon in the bowl as Grace walked past, and he followed with three water bottles.

They settled onto the couch with their plates balanced on their laps, eating and watching a random cooking show that Grace liked to watch from time to time. Ever since Danny and Steve had started letting her help in the kitchen, she wanted to get more and more involved. Danny was thinking about signing them both up for a Daddy/Daughter cooking class over the summer. Grace had brought him a brochure from school, and he currently had it pinned up on his refrigerator.

There was quiet chatter during the meal, but nothing too exciting for the trio. Grace could tell that her dad needed things quiet, and happily cooperated. She was just content for him to be here with her and not still in the hospital.

Once Danny had managed part of a slice, he set the plate back on the table and stood up. "Okay, you two. I'm going to go and rest for a little bit – remember what you promised?"

His eyes were bright, reminding Grace that he was teasing her. "Have a good sleep, Danno. I love you."

He carefully kissed the top of her head. "Love you too, Monkey." Slowly, he navigated his way up the stairs. He was nearly asleep before his head hit the pillow; the stress of the past few hours taking a toll on his reserves.

No sooner had Danny gotten upstairs, than Grace had ambushed Steve. "Uncle Steve? Is Danno okay?"

Steve looked a little unsure. "What do you mean, Gracie? Did something happen while I was gone?"

Grace shrugged her shoulders. "Not really. But I could tell he was worried. He kept checking his phone, and wouldn't sit still, even when I tried to cuddle with him."

Steve knew how much worrying about Danny weighed on Grace, so he scooted closer on the couch. "I think Danno is going to be okay, Grace. He's just really worried about Charlie – we all are. He's still pretty sick after his surgery. I know your dad really wants him to get better…we all do."

Grace's eyes dropped into a worried frown. "Is Charlie going to be okay, Steve?"

Steve nodded. "I hope so, Grace. He's got us thinking about him here, and Uncle Chin and Aunt Kono are staying at the hospital with him. The doctors can't say for sure, but they think that he will be all right."

Grace rested her head on Steve's shoulder and grabbed onto the tail of his button down shirt.

Steve could tell that Grace was about to start thinking too much, so he tried a different tactic. "Hey Gracie? You know how sometimes you are worried about something, and your mom says it's like you have a bee in your bonnet?"

Grace smiled and nodded. Her mom was never very happy when Grace acted like that, but she did understand what Steve was saying. It was like she was just too wound up to be still and settle down, but she couldn't help it…it was almost as if her body was moving on its own.

Steve could see her out of the corner of his eye and knew that she was listening. "Well, I think your dad was kind of like that tonight. I think he was just so worried that he couldn't sit still very well. And I don't know if he took his medicine or not…maybe he was in a little bit of pain, too? Either way, I think he'll feel better after he gets some rest. Uncle Chin promised to call us if something happened with Charlie, so we don't have to worry right now, okay?"

Grace sat up and turned to face Steve. "Okay. But do you think we could do something quiet tonight? I want to be able to hear Danno if he needs anything."

Steve could not get over just how big Grace's heart was. She was always looking out for the people she loved, and her dad was at the top of her list. "Sounds good, Gracie. What did you have in mind?"

She grinned. "I brought three books to read with Danno, but I also brought two that maybe we could read together? Stan gave me money for helping him around the house and told me I could spend it on anything I wanted, and this was what I wanted."

Steve could not believe his eyes as she pulled the six books from her bag. For Danny, she had bought "The Baseball Mystery" so that she could 'learn more about baseball and how to be a detective, like Danno'; "How to be a Detective"; and "Detective Science" – she was looking forward to digging through that one with her dad, because it looked like a fun way to spend some time together.

However, it was the books she pulled out to read with Steve that had his eyes filling with tears. He had no idea where she had even figured out how to find what she wanted, but he wasn't complaining. She had "Doc Frog's Physical Training Manual: Navy Seal PT for Kids", and "Navy SEAL Dogs!"

Grace was excited as she showed him each book. She talked about how cool it would be if she could train dogs like they did in the book. She was also looking forward to waking up every morning and doing her own version of PT – just like Uncle Steve.

She pulled the Navy SEAL dog book from the pile and pushed herself further into the couch, tucking herself up against Steve's side.

For the next hour, Steve delighted in the sound of Grace reading to him from her book. She asked very appropriate and intelligent questions, whenever something didn't make sense to her or when she just wanted more information.

He tried to explain things in a way she could understand, without getting too detail oriented. But Grace was like a sponge, wanting to know everything she could about how a dog could be a SEAL. She especially wanted to know if Steve had ever worked with a dog on a mission.

He swallowed hard as he thought back to one highly classified mission that had drastically changed the face attached to the war on terrorism, remembering the dog that helped pin their target and take out insurgents who were ready to defend to the death.

"Yeah, Gracie. I have. I can't really tell you much about what happened, but I can tell you that the dog had its own TAC Vest – kind of like the ones we wear at work, and I've gotten to see one parachute out of a plane, strapped to his handler."

Grace's grin lit up the room. "How cool!" She turned back to her book and picked up where she left off, finding the section about protective equipment and reading about antennas and cameras and how they were used.

Steve was completely enjoying his time with Grace, feeling better about Danny getting some food and some rest until his phone rang. The loud ring tone shattered the silence and had Steve practically jumping up from the couch. With his heart sinking into his stomach, he slid his thumb over the screen and put the phone to his ear. "Hello?"

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